Brothers in Arms
by thearizona
Summary: The year is 2550 and fire-team Carnage has deployed to a small colony to help defend it from the covenant. Just another planet waiting to be glassed after a heroic defense, or is it? With new things to find and discover that were hidden away, maybe this defense will be worth the cost. (First FanFic) Rated T for mild language but M for moments of graphic violence.
1. A New Team

**Hey out there, this is the first fanfic I've posted so please stick with me. I don't know how many chapters this will be. I would like to think the story "The Life" by casquis gave me a little inspiration. You should go check it out, it's a great story. **

**I guess it's time to get to the story, enjoy!**

**Halo is the copyright of Bungie, though these characters, and the story, are my own creation. **

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Chapter 1: A New Team

February 15, 2550

UNSC Midsummer Night

Gunnery Sergeant Jack Price

It has been a hard road ever since the death of almost all my squad. I've saw it in the eyes of my best friend, Dmitri Vasilyev, I wasn't the only one that was hit hard by what had happened. Though I was mostly affected by their death, but that's just a pain I will have to lie with.

"Jack, here is the files on the new team members."

"Thanks Dmitri, anybody stand out?"

"Are you implying I looked at them before handing them to you! Of all the things I've heard..."

"Oh please, how long have we know other? Nineteen, twenty years is it now? And you expect me to believe you didn't go through those files?"

"Touché..I didn't see anything that stuck out though you should look at them anyways."

"Ok, thanks." I replayed as I took the files from him. The files contained the service records for the four new members of fire-team Carnage.

First there was Sergeant John Connors, a CQC expert who thinks better on his feet if his records indicate anything. Then Corporal George Anders, who is one of the best in the shots in the ODST's, though it is indicated he is a very silent guy. The third new member is a Corporal Sinclair Stein, good service record, and is going to be the team's medic, from all the carnage he must see, no wonder he talks all the time. Finally there is Lance Corporal Craig McFee, the teams explosive expert. He can do things with a single block of C12 that a demo squad can barely do with a few dozen blocks of the stuff!

"So what do you think of 'um?" Dmitri asked me.

"_Did he just stand and watch me read these files_?" I thought

"They seem qualified for the job. When do they arrive?"

"2 hours"

"Thanks, have them meet in the ready room and I will meet you there."

"Roger that, see you there" was his reply as he left the room to most likely go to the gym, that guy is a walking tank!

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2 Hours later

The Ready room, or "the gateway to hell" as some of us like to call it, is where us ODST's prep for a launch and then launch from in our SOEIV's, or drop pods. It's also were team meetings take place as it is being used for today.

"Hello gentlemen, my name is Gunnery Sergeant Jack Price, and this here is Staff Sergeant Dmitri Vasilyev. In this squad I am God and he is my only son, your savior. There are some important things that you should know. First off, any order that I give is the law. Second, if you do not comply with that order, you'll get an appropriate punishment."

"What kind of punishment, sir?" Asked Anders.

Dmitri beat me to the response, "You will be on-point for a x amount of missions, depending on the seriousness of the order you failed to follow."

"Now, I'm sure you all want to go get some rest and explore the ship before we ship out on patrol, but first you have to meet the other members in this team. We fight as one and we will die as one if we don't know each other. So to start off here is how I want you to introduce yourself to the rest of the team, Dmitri?"

"Staff Sergeant Dmitri Vasilyev, Heavy Weapons, Squad XO. see, that isn't so hard, give it a try"

"Sergeant John Connors, Hand to Hand specialist, if within a few meters, its already dead."

"Corporal George Anders, Sniper, no distance you can hid."

"Corporal Sinclair Stein, Squad Medic, I haven't lost a man yet"

and at the end of all this we are looking and McFee, which probable isn't making him feel too good, even though he rivals Dmitri in size!

"Lance Corporal Craig McFee, Explosives, if it goes boom, I'm there."

"Well now that you have all meet each other, why don't you go explore the ship. One more thing, Call Signs." and as soon as I said that everybody let out a little moan showing there annoyance.

"Relax, individual call signs will come later once I think of something clever or witty that fits each of you. Second, our Squad name all ready defined as Carnage. The official designation is Kilo-Lima-Mike in case we need to identify ourselves to a unit from another ship. KLM, it's not that hard to remember so I don't expect anybody to forget it, Do I Make Myself Clear?"

A half hearted "Yes Sir" came out of everybody, so they were tired, or this was going to be fun!

"I said, DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR!"

"SIR, YES, SIR"

"Good, you are all dismissed to roam about the ship. I suggest you find your room, the Gym, the Firing Range and Armory, the mess hall, and then the Cryo Tubes, in that order."

"So what do you think of 'em now that you have meet them?" Dmitri asked me.

"Hard to say, I'm getting a good vibe about all of them so far, we will just have to wait and see how we all fit together as a unit. Though reading through Corporal Anders has got me worried a bit."

"whys that?"

"Well it said he has a bit of a tendency to go lone wolf from time to time and I don't want that happening here where it could get one of the guys injured or worse, killed."

"I see what you mean. Do you want me to try and beat it out of him?"

"No, this is something that he has to learn through trial and error. When will the Training deck be open for use next, do you know?"

"Ya, there is an opening in two days, why?"

"Cause I want him to see the backlash of him going lone wolf will have on the squad."

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**Well here it is, the first chapter to my first fanfic. Hope you enjoy where this is going. please leave a review, good or bad, as this is my first fic I would love any constructive criticism you guys, and gals, could give me.**

**There is no planned date for Ch. 2 to come out yet, but don't worry, I will get working on it as soon as possible.**

**Semper Fi,**

**Thearizona**


	2. Lone Wolf

**Hey there everybody, here is chapter 2 of my first fanfic. Enjoy!**

**Halo is the copyright of Bungie, though these characters, and the story, are my own creation.**

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Chapter 2: Lone Wolf

February 17, 2550

UNSC Midsummer Night Sim Ready Room

Gunnery Sergeant Jack Price

"This Gentleman, is one thing that makes this ship special. Apart from having one of the best ODST compliments of any ship in the UNSC!" That statement brought a oorah from everybody. "Also has a simulation room for us, and other visiting units, to train in and to set up to simulate certain situations." At that time Captain Davis walking in to see how we were doing before we went out into the Sim Room.

"Attention On DECK!" yelled out Dmitri, as we all scrambled to attention.

"At ease men." replied the captain, "I'm just here to wish you all good luck out there." and then he left, as was usual with the Captain's visits to the ready rooms before a sim.

"That gentlemen is the captain of this ship, Captain Davis. You will find he cares for everybody, Navy and Marines alike, equally. Now down to business, the simulation we are running today is straight up elimination, everybody has one life, you get hit and your armor locks up so that you appear dead. The course will be randomly created by the ship's AI, Mandy, at the start of the day."

"That means that nobody will know of the map layout beforehand, so you better watch so corners and keep your eyes open for potential kill zones." bellowed out Dmitri.

"Alrighty then, let's get going then, don't want to keep everybody waiting."

"Everybody waiting, what do you mean sir?" asked Stein.

"When a sim is going on, almost everybody on the ship watches it from the viewing platform. Sims are fun to watch and can also be used to gain knowledge on how a team operates and maybe gain some new strategies for next time." I replied to the Corporal. At that time we had walked up to the elevator that took us up to the battle area.

"Welcome to the sim room Carnage squad." The ships AI, Mandy, said as she brought up a hologram of the map. "Today's map is large, with long clear views for long range weapons from the two high points of the map in opposite corners, split up by close up fighting on the floor and in the high points There are walkways crisscrossing the map at all of the different tiers. Good luck on the battlefield Carnage!"

"Thanks Mandy." I said as her avatar disappeared, though the map stayed so we could plan out the battle as we rode the elevator up. "Connors, Stein, McFee, I want you three to go left and try to get into the structure here. Once you do, hold at the entrance and wait for my signal." I said as pointing to a spot on the map, bring a "Yes Sir" from the trio.

"Anders, I want you posted up in the tower, on the second tier here, providing over watch. Don't go up to the third or fourth tiers." As I pointed out where I wanted him to set up, which brought a "Roger that Sir. " from the man.

"Gunny, what are you and staff going to do?" Asked Stein.

"that is an excellent question corporal. Staff Sergeant Vasilyev and I will go around the right flank and draw their fire. When that happens I will give you the signal and that's when I want you three to pop out and surprise them. Now Anders, I want you to watch their backs and take any shots of opportunity you may have; and watch out for their sniper. Oorah!" Bringing a resounding "OORAH!" From everybody. At that time the elevator reached the battle deck and we were in wedge formation, and if I do say so myself, we look awesome! "Remember you orders, and always have the back of the man next to you." I said over the countdown to the start of the match. "3...2...1...GO" and with that the team scrambled off to fulfill orders I have them.

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A Few Minutes Later

Under Fire in the UNSC Midsummer Night Sim Room

Gunnery Sergeant Jack Price

"Dmitri, shift fire to the right, keep those guys pinned down!" I yelled at the Russian machine gunner; who, without saying anything, shifted his fire so that it pinned down two enemy soldiers who tried to flank is, "killing" one of them in the process. That marks the first enemy killed, leaving five left.

At that time we got a call over the radio from Connors, "Sir, we are pinned down just inside the structure." We heard over that radio, along with the sound of a firefight going on.

"Anders, shift you fire over to them to try and cover them!" I said into the radio, getting no response; I didn't even get green "affirmative" light on my HUD. "ANDERS!" Then we heard a SRS go off and saw one of our lights go dark. It was Anders, he had gone off all lone wolf and ended up getting shot by their sniper. From there it went all downhill.

"We are getting over run! AUGHHHHHH!" Was all we heard over the radio before all three of Connors's, Stein's, and McFee's lights went out, though they did manage to nail the enemy sniper and one trooper. So it is 3 Vs. 2 and they started pushing hard. There were rounds flying all around us.

"Ok Dmitri, get ready to lay down some suppressive fire so we can run to a better place." I yelled at him before taking out one of them who had tried to move up.

"On the count of three, 1...2...3! GO, GO, GO!" I yelled through my radio as we both got up and started to make a run towards where we started and the tower that was there; firing blindly almost at where the last two enemy's were. It was only after about 50 meters that I saw Dmitri go down, paint splattered all over his back that I knew I was done for. Know to try and take those two with me!

"Come on you sons of bitches! Take me on if you man enough!" I yelled through my helmet speakers as I spun down to a crouch in place, battle rifle up and ready to fire at the first target I saw. At that time, both of them came around from separate corners...I managed to get one of them before the second one nailed me with a well placed shot to the chest...damn do those things hurt!

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A Few Minutes Later

UNSC Midsummer Night Sim Ready Room

Gunnery Sergeant Jack Price

"So, what did we do wrong out there and what can you do to fix it?" I asked my team after we had gotten back into the ready room.

"Well we could have pushed a bit harder at the start as to get to a better spot instead of where we were." replied Connors, to the agreement of the two men that went with him.

"Anything else?"

"No sir, there was nothing that we could have done to prevent us from getting over ran, they had sniper support and an equal number of men." was his response.

"We nailed that sniper before we went down though!" blurted out McFee.

"Good, you recognized that you were in the face of overwhelming enemy forces and still fought on, taking that sniper out with you."

"Thank you sir!" was all three of their responses, almost as if they had planned it.

"You three are dismissed, that means you're staying put Anders." I ordered, leaving Anders standing by himself being stared down by Me and Dmitri.

"Why Anders, why did you leave your post, which had a clear line of fire to support the left flank, to get shot by their sniper?!" I yelled at him.

"no reason, sir" he replied very quietly, like he normally is. but for some reason that just made me a bit angry, cause if he had stayed quiet he would have lived and we would have won.

Before I could say anything Dmitri was in his ear, "WHAT WAS THAT ANDERS!"

"NO REASON, SIR!" he shouted back

"Then why did you do it!" I yelled at him this time.

"I felt it was the right thing to do, Sir"

"oh, you THOUGHT it was the right thing to do did you?"

"yes, sir." he responded, knowing it was a trap.

"WELL YOU NOT HERE TO THINK! You Are Here To Follow My Orders! DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR!" I yelled at the smaller man.

A weak "sir, yes sir" was all that came out from the man.

Again, before I could say anything, Dmitri was there, "WHAT WAS THAT CORPORAL!"

"SIR, YES SIR!"

"Good, know I don't want to see you pull any more of that shit EVER AGAIN! Do I make myself CLEAR!"

"Sir, Yes Sir" the corporal shouted out, knowing what befell him if he didn't.

"Good, know go take a shower and clean your rifle twice, and I don't want to see you at lunch, and that's an order!" I shouted at him, starting to calm myself down.

"Sir, Yes Sir" he responded, still standing there; afraid to move in case it was a test or something.

"MOVE SOLDIER!" Dmitri yelled at him

"Yes Sir!" he replied as he grabbed his rifle and made for the door to go complete what I had ordered him to do. Being in charge was great sometimes, and a pain others; but you gotta live with what you are given.

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**The map is hang 'em high from Halo: CE, so you can get a picture of what it looks like, though it has been doubled in size, about.**

**Ok, so my computer caught a Trojan Virus on Tuesday and I wasn't able to get it to IT(being spring break) so it could get fixed. good thing is that I saved all my things on a thumb drive instead of my desktop so it is all safe. I should be getting it back on Wednesday, so I should be able to start updating more regularly then.**

**and all the little grammar and spelling mistakes cause I used the note section on my IPhone to write out the first chapter and a majority of the second one should be gone as well(YAY) cause autocorrect is so idiotic in notes! am I right?**

**Now that my daily rant is over with, see you on the next chapter!**

**Thearizona**

**P.S. how do you think I dealt with Anders "lone wolfism"? I plan on do some…wait, spoilers! I can't let you know my plans for world dom…..I mean, the next chapter.**


	3. Next Mission?

**Hey everybody, I GOT MY COMPUTER BACK! So I'm able to write on word again, it's so nice! Authors notes at the end of the story.**

**Enjoy this next chapter and remember,** **Halo is the copyright of Bungie, though the characters, and story, are my own.**

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Chapter 3: Next Mission?

February 18, 2550

UNSC Midsummer Night Mess Hall

Gunnery Sergeant Jack Price

"All company heads report to the briefing room, repeat, all company heads report to the briefing room." I heard Mandy say over the ships intercom, and as I'm the leader of the ships ODST squad this is a meeting I need to attend.

"Well guys, they are calling my number, I better go see what's up." I told the rest of my squad as I got up and left to go to the briefing room. Dmitri started to get up to follow me but stopped as I waved him off. As I started to make the long walk from the mess hall to the briefing room, due to the briefing room being next to the Bridge and the mess hall being near the bottom front of the ship. It doesn't help that the elevators move at a snail's pace! As I'm waiting for this elevator to reach the top I kept thinking to myself, "_What's going on that all heads are being called for a briefing?"_ but I couldn't come up with anything outside of, we are being called away from our station to some desolate colony to defend it form the covenant before pulling out.

As the elevator finished its long climb to the top and I started to make my way to the briefing room I could only think about was the never ending cycle of this war. At that time I walked into the briefing room to see Colonel William Foster, who is the leader of the marine contingency onboard, the 829th Combat Infantry Regiment. There was also the 829th's executive officer, Major Rodney Garcia, at the meeting. Finally to round the meeting personnel list off was Captain Davis and the ships AI, Mandy. As I was the last one into the room so all eyes fell onto me, "_damn elevator speed!'_ I thought to myself as I walked in.

"So good of you to join us Gunnery Sergeant Price, please take a spot around the holo table." The captain said as I walked in.

"Yes sir" I replied as I walked up the table next to the colonel.

"Let's get down to business shall we?" Captain Davis spoke up, "Yesterday at 1600 hours FleetCom Headquarters received a message from the Greensborough system. They detected a small covenant fleet consisting of three ships but were not able to report what those ships were though so we are flying in to the system in the dark. We are going in to kick the covie bastards out of this system. Mandy, could you please show the system and what support we will have coming with us?"

"Yes Captain" she responded as a map of the Greensborough system came up from the holo table. "The Greensborough system only has one livable planet on it, planet Spiron. It has five major cities, including the capital. They are Deeside, Forfar, Prestwick, Queensferry, and the capital of Saddle Butte." Mandy said as she pointed them out on a map of the planet.

As I was looking at the map I noticed that the capital was on the top of a saddle shaped butte in the middle of long flat plain. "_That's going to be a good defensive position when things go south, plus that is one obvious name!_"

"Accompanying us will be the Paris-class heavy frigate UNSC Grafton, two Gorgon-class destroyers, the UNSC Constitution and the UNSC Pioneer, and to round out the flotilla, the Marathon-class heavy cruiser, UNSC Hannibal." Mandy said as a hologram of each ship pope at the mention of its name.

"Gentleman" the captain started, "I don't need to tell you that holding this planet is a top priority as there are large amounts of vital resources in this system. Also a victory here would really boost the morale of the troops. We are going to leave for the Greensborough system in two hours so I want all departments ready for a three and a half week slip-space jump, with three of those weeks being in cryo sleep, so be sure to have everything you need before we leave. Remember gentlemen, two hours."

"Yes Sir" the three of us responded and then walked out.

"Major, go get the men ready for what's about to come." Colonel Foster told his executive officer.

"Yes Sir" the major replied as he changed directions to head to inform the men of the 829th.

"So….what do you think of these new orders price?" Foster asked me.

"I don't know what to think anymore. It always the same thing of go to this planet, defend it, win a few ground and air battles but lose the overall campaign and be forced to pull out and retreat back to Reach as said planet is being glassed by the damned covenant."

"So are you ready to do it again?"

"Ya, fighting is practically everything I know how to do at the time. Plus I got this new squad to mess around with and the first few missions are always the funnest; am I right Foster?"

"Ya, your right" he replied. "Well I better get going to make sure everything is ready."

"Right, I better go do the same with my guys. See you later Will."

"Right"

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February 18, 2550

UNSC Midsummer Night Drop Room

Gunnery Sergeant Jack Price

"Ok men, we got some new orders from the higher ups. The Greensborough system has detected covie ships moving towards them. We are going to defend this system, and we will be joined by the Grafton, the Constitution, the Pioneer, and the Hannibal for the duration of the campaign. There is one planet for us to defend to it won't be that hard, instead of jumping from planet to planet we will just be jumping from city to city. It also seems that this planet has been made to be defended." I told the men.

"Alright sir, just tell me where they those covie bastards are and they will go out with the most spectacular explosion you have ever seen!" McFee blurted out to the amusement of everybody in the room.

"Don't worry McFee; you will get your chance." Dmitri replied to the explosives expert before I could get the chance to.

"Right, so we only have two hours before we are leaving. It's going to be three weeks in cryo tubes with half a week out before we get there, so I want everything in tip top shape before then. Those are your orders so I suggest you get to them." I said to the other men in the drop room.

"Yes Sir" was their response as they walked out the room, leaving me and Dmitri alone.

"So, we got another planet to go out and defend. Are your ready after what happened on Stigma 8?"

"I don't know Dmitri, losing carnage once was hard. But; these guys should be able to handle themselves well enough. I mean look at the dang place, it's naturally defendable." I replied to my best friend.

"Right, so you're not worried in the slightest?" he asked with an inquisitive tone.

"Hell ya I'm worried, more then I should be though. I guess it has to do with Murphy's Law. All these men have made combat jumps before but I still can't shake this feeling…."

"What feeling would that be?" Dmitri asked as I gave him my annoyed look, which meant I wanted him to back off. "Ok. Fine, no need to get angry at me. Though if you want to talk to somebody about it I'm here though."

"Thanks, Dmitri. In the meantime, have you thought of any call signs for the guys yet?"

"Not for everybody, but I was thinking of Wolf for Anders."

"Wolf? Why Wolf?" I asked him, letting the name bounce around in my head.

"Well he always went lone wolf whenever he could. Though I'm not suggesting he does it again. I think we punished him harder then anybody in the past did; but as a reminder not to do it again. He will always be reminded of that whenever we call him that. Plus, he is quiet, fast, and deadly."

"_Well he has a good point there and it's a nice call sign; I just hope it doesn't back fire"_ I thought before replying, "Ok, you persuaded me, Anders call sign is wolf. Though that is subject to change if something better comes up. Now what about the other guys?"

"Fine. Well, we haven't really watched them in combat yet or have had anything happen worth a call sign yet."

"True. So let's keep our eyes peeled for anything we could use. Now go get ready for the jump, make sure we have all the supply's we need."

"You got it Jack" he replied as he walked off to make sure my orders were being followed.

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Two and a Half Hours Later

Cryo Chamber

"All non-essential personnel please prepare for Cryo Sleep" Mandy said over the ships intercom.

"Ok guys, we got everything stowed away correct?" I asked the men before we were given the "Anti-Freeze" juice.

"Yes sir" was the unified response from everybody.

"Good, now here's one for the stomach" I said as I took the anti-freeze, prompting my men to do the same.

"Right, now let's get moving, into the tubes!" I ordered, then watched as my men got into their designated Cryo Tubes. Then, after making sure everything was fine with their tubes, I got into my own and let the icy coolness of cryo sleep take me away. "_See everybody in three and a half weeks." _I thought before finally succumbing and falling into cryo sleep.

* * *

**So, good chapter, great chapter? What do you think of Anders call sign? Should I change it or is my reasoning ok with it? Now shout outs.**

**Supreme Commander: thanks! Glad you like it and thanks for being the first person to follow and favorite my story. It means a lot because you are the first person to do so, on my first story. Hope you enjoyed this one!**

**And that's it…well as I get more chapters and more reviewers there will be more shout outs. So remember to review! Final thing, the name for this story came from the song "Brothers in Arms" from the original Halo game. I was listening to it and finally decided to write this story that had been bouncing around in my head.**

**Semper Fi,**

**Thearizona**


	4. Time to Wake Up

**Here is another chapter to enjoy; Authors note is at the end, as usual. Remember that** **Halo is the copyright of Bungie, though the characters and story are my own.**

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Chapter 4: Time to Wake Up

March 15, 2550

UNSC Midsummer Night Cryo Room

Gunnery Sergeant Jack Price

Cold, that's what I feel whenever I come out of cryo sleep, but who wouldn't right? I stepped out of my Cryotube and immediately threw-up, emptying my system of a majority of the anti-freeze juice. Once I got that over with I went over to get my BDU's from my assigned locker, and as I did I noticed that nobody else was out of their tubes, or even awake.

"Mandy" I said, knowing one of her subroutines was listening in to what was going on.

"Yes Gunnery Sergeant Price" she responded.

"How much earlier did you wake me than the others?" I asked her.

"I woke you exactly one hour before the rest of your squad is scheduled to be woken, as requested."

"Thanks Mandy." I replied, as I had asked her to wake me an hour earlier than everybody else.

After finishing putting on my BDU's I set an alarm for 50 minutes so I would have time to get back here before everybody else got "thawed" out of cryo sleep. I had almost an hour before I had to be back here to give everybody a "special" greeting, so I head down to the ships gym and started to work out. I started by hoping onto the treadmill and set it to 5 kilometers. I was able to run the whole 5 kilometers before somebody else came into the gym, it was Major Garcia.

_"I guess I wasn't the only one with this idea_" I thought as the treadmill beeped letting me know that the run was over, so I stepped off the machine and started to walk to the weight racks to get some weights to bench. Once I got all the weights set up on the bar I heard the Major snort, "So is that the heaviest you can bench Jack? I thought you ODSTs could lift twice that weight?"

I glanced over at the weight I had amassed on the bar and did the math in my head; 80 pounds on each side is 160, then the 45 pound bar comes out to 205 pounds. Now I'm not heavy set like Dmitri is, that guy carries around a god damn machine gun in combat, but I would say benching equal your body weight for 100 times is hard, but trying to do it as fast as possible, is even harder.

"Oh really, how much fast can you bench that weight 100 times Rodney?" I responded with a hint of annoyance in my voice.

"Faster than you can, I can bet ya that", He responded with extreme cockiness. "_Oh man, I'm going to wipe the floor with his face when we are done with this_."

"You're on! Get your weights set up and lets go." I told him, causing him to go get all the weight to set on the bar.

"Mandy?"

"Yes gunnery sergeant?"

"Could you please tell us how long it took us to complete 100 FULL bench presses?"

"Will do gunnery sergeant."

"Thanks Mandy."

"So, you ready to get owned Jack?" I heard Rodney pipe up, meaning he had gotten all his weight on the bar. I didn't say anything but walked over to the racks and checked to make sure he had the correct weight on his bar. "Jack, what are you doing?"

"Just making sure you aren't cheating there Rodney." I finally replied to him, getting a shrug from the major. "Let's get this done shall we?" and I went over to my rack and got ready, seeing that he was also ready to go.

"Ok, Rodney, you ready?"

"Ready to beat you!" He replied to me.

"Right," rolling out the beginning of the word. "Go ahead and start us off Mandy."

"Yes gunnery sergeant, start in 3...2...1...start." and as soon as I heard the word start I started pumping the weight as fast as I could. I could hear Rodney beside me going a bit faster than me, and I knew I hard to keep my pace under control so I wouldn't fly and die as I knew that the pace he was at he couldn't hold that rate for a long time. I was right, he had to stop to catch his breath after maybe 20 or so and then he started right back up, though at a slower rate than he started.

"Getting tired over there Rodney?" I asked him through my breathing.

"Nope….are….you?" he responded through ragged breathing. He may not say it but I can hear it, the Majors getting tired. That gave me a bit of more energy knowing that he was struggling to get through them.

"Mandy, what's the count?" I asked after sometime.

"Gunnery Sergeant, you have 45 left. Major, you have 50 left" the AI responded.

"_So we are pretty close together, I need to keep up this pace though._" I thought as I started to count down in my head how many I had left to do. Eventually I had 20 left and I that is when I started to increase the rate at which I was doing the bench presses. Sort of like a "sprint" at the end of a race. It only felt like a few seconds but I knew it wasn't but still, the affects adrenaline has on the body is amazing. It does such things as slowing down time, or the just opposite and speeding it up, and stopping the burn in your muscles when you are working hard. In this instance it sped time up and I no longer felt the familiar burning sensation in my muscles.

"Gunnery Sergeant, you are finished. Your time is 2 minutes and 34.8 seconds." I heard Mandy say as I counted 0 in my head, so I put the bar on the rack and looked over at Rodney who was frustrated as I had beaten him. This caused him to get angry and anger brings about some of the same effects adrenaline does but not as controlled. Eventually I heard Mandy pip up.

"Major, you are finished. Your time is 2 minutes and 55.4 seconds." Hearing this just confirmed what I was saying the whole time, and caused the Major to have a defeated look when he sat up after racking his bar.

"There you go Rodney, we ODST's are better." I smirked at him.

"Ya Ya, just wait till you need some support, and then" he started, only to be cut off by my watches alarm going off.

"Well I would love to stay and show you how much more superior ODST's are to your standard Marine but, I go and wake my guys out of cryo." I said as I started to walk out of the gym, missing his response, and back to my team's cryo tubes.

Once I got back to the cryo bay I asked Mandy to give wake Dmitri first and then the others on my command, which she agreed to do. I started to hear the hissing noise that means somebody is being let out of cryo. I stand in the corner of the room and wait and watch as Dmitri goes through the proses of puking up the anti-freeze and then getting dressed. It was only after he got dressed did he notice me standing there.

"So, what do you have planned for the men this time Jack?" he said as I had done this before with the last squad. The first time out of cryo sleep I always do this with every new squad mate.

"Same as always, just be ready when I let them out."

"Yes sir" he replied as I went about the process of letting the rest of Carnage squad out of cryo sleep. After hearing the lids on the cryo tubes open up, both Dmitri and I went to work on the other four members of the squad. (**Dmitri**, _Jack_, actions)

"_GET MOVING YOU MAGGOTS! I WANT TO SEE YOU ALL DRESSED IN UNDER A MINUTE!_"

"**MOVE, MOVE, MOVE! GET OUT OF THOSE TUBES AND GET DRESSED!**"

Stein stumbled out of his tube and ended out on the ground, getting noticed by Dmitri.

"**STEIN, WHAT ARE YOU DOING ON THE GROUND? THIS ISN'T A FRICKIN PICNIC! GET OFF THE GROUND AND GET TO YOUR LOCKER AND GET DRESSED!**"

"_CONNORS, GET YOUR FAT ASS MOVING YOU FAGGOT! I'VE SEEN A TURTLE MOVE FASTER THAN YOU RIGHT NOW!"_

"**ANDERS, YOU BETTER NOT BE THE LAST ONE TO GET DRESSED!"**

(Back to normal)

They all fell in once getting dressed and I checked the time; 59 seconds.

"Listen up numbnuts, I wanted you all dressed in under a minute…and somehow you managed to get it done in 59 seconds." I told them with a hint of surprise in my voice. "I'm surprised that you managed to be that fast. Now go get your weapons and meet me at the firing range. Dismissed." With that they all left to get their weapons and go to the firing range. They all shared a look of "what the hell just happened?" with each other as they left.

"Well, that was fun" Dmitri said.

"Yes Dmitri it was. We better get to the firing range before the rest of the squad does."

* * *

**Well, what do you guys think of this chapter? I know I don't have an update schedule but the next chapter might take some more time to come out due to state testing. I wrote this when watching "We Were Soldiers" and that gave me some dialog and ideas to think of for future chapters. Plus the whole cryo room scene snuck up on me, I didn't know it would happen till I wrote it soooo. See you guys in the next chapter!**

**Semper Fi,**

**Thearizona**


	5. Helljumper, Helljumper

**Chapter 5 is up, hope you all enjoy it! AN at the end. Please remember that I don't own any part of the Halo universe; that right belongs to Bungie.**

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Chapter 5: Helljumper, Helljumper, where you been?

March 15, 2550

UNSC Midsummer Night Firing Range

Gunnery Sergeant Jack Price

_'BOOM'_

We had been at the firing range for about an hour when I decided that it was enough practice for one day, especial after just coming out of cryo.

_'CRACK-CRACK-CRACK'_

"Cease fire, cease fire" I said over the gunshots, and hearing my men stop shooting I rounded them up.

"McFee, pick a number between two and eight."

"Four"

"Ok four it is, I'm setting the distance on the range to the maximum and you get one shot to hit the bull's-eye. If you miss then however much you miss by will be added to the base distance of four klicks and then running that distance. If you hit the bull's-eye then it goes onto the next man in line and the distance goes down by a klick. We will go on until all four of you have had your one shot and then we'll add up the distance and go for little run. Everybody get it?"

"Yes Sir" all four replied.

"Ok McFee, you're up." I said as I stepped out of the way of the lane I wanted him to use. He brought his rifle to his shoulder, aimed and squeezed the trigger.

_'BANG'_

"Stein, your turn."

_'BANG'_

"Connors, your turn." I said, just going down the line of people.

_'BANG'_

"Anders, your turn." I told him, handing him a MA5 and taking his SRS.

'_BANG'_

And with that I recalled the target back to us to check the scoring. There was two holes in the bulls-eye, and the other two bullet holes missed the bulls-eye but hit the next circle. That evens out so it looks like we are going to have a 4 klick run.

"Looks like we are going to run 4 klicks today. Rack your weapons and head to section R3 gentleman, I will meet you there." I told them and started to walk to the outer section of the ship, as there is a nice jogging track that rings the ship. Dmitri came jogging up behind me and started to walk with me.

"You ready to for this run?" I asked him.

"Really, of all the things your could have asked me, that's it? You know a 4 klick run is nothing compared to some of the things we have had to do in the past."

"That is true. We better get going if we want to beat the men there." With that we picked up the pace and made it to section R3 about two minutes before the rest of the squad did. When they got here I had them fall in and get ready for the run.

"We got 4 klicks to run guys, let's get moving shall we?"

"Yes Sir" was the unanimous response as we started the run and I started up the cadence. (Italics are the response)

"Left, Left, Lefty Right Left!"

_"Left, Left, Lefty Right Left!"_

"Left, Left, Stick To The Left!"

_"Left, Left, Stick To The Left!"_

"Helljumper, Helljumper, where you been?"

_"Helljumper, Helljumper, where you been?"_

"Feet first into hell and back again!"

_"Feet first into hell and back again!"_

"When I die please bury me deep!"

_"When I die please bury me deep!"_

"Place an MA5 down by my feet!"

_"Place an MA5 down by my feet!"_

"Don't cry for me, don't shed no tear!"

_"Don't cry for me, don't shed no tear!"_

"Just pack my box with PT gear!"

_"Just pack my box with PT gear!"_

"Cuz one early morning 'bout zero-five!"

_"Cuz one early morning 'bout zero-five!"_

"The ground will rumble, there'll be lightning in the sky!"

_"The ground will rumble, there'll be lightning in the sky!"_

"Don't you worry, don't come undone!"

_"Don't you worry, don't come undone!"_

"It's just my ghost on a PT run!"

_"It's just my ghost on a PT run!"_

The run kept going on from there; it must have seemed like I had a never ending supply of cadences as I was using new ones that are in use today, and I also used cadences from the United States Marine Corps of the 21st century.

"In The Dead Of The Night"

"_In The Dead Of The Night"_

"In The Heat Of The Night"

"_In The Heat Of The Night"_

"There's A U.S. Marine"

"_There's A U.S. Marine"_

"And He's Lookin For A Fight"

"_And He's Lookin For A Fight"_

"Well He Flies In An Airplane"

"_Well He Flies In An Airplane"_

"And He Jumps Through The Sky"

"_And He Jumps Through The Sky"_

"He's A U.S. Marine"

"_He's A U.S. Marine"_

"And He Kills Before He Dies"

"_And He Kills Before He Dies"__  
_  
"In The Cold Of Korea"

"_In The Cold Of Korea"_

"Under Six Feet Of Snow"

"_Under Six Feet Of Snow"_

"There's A U.S. Marine"

"_There's A U.S. Marine"_

"And He's Puttin On A Show"

"_And He's Puttin On A Show"_

"Machine Guns A Blazing"

"_Machine Guns A Blazing"_

"Grenades A Goin Boom"

"_Grenades A Goin Boom"_

"There's A U.S. Marine"

"_There's A U.S. Marine"_

"Step Back And Give Him Room"

"_Step Back And Give Him Room"_

"In The Kuwaiti Desert"

"_In The Kuwaiti Desert"_

"In The Deep Hot Sand"

"_In The Deep Hot Sand"_

"There's A U.S. Marine"

"_There's A U.S. Marine"_

"And He's Kicking Over Some Dead"

"_And He's Kicking Over Some Dead"_

"Scud Missiles Are A Launching"

"_Scud Missiles Are A Launching"_

"The Patriot Will Reply"

"_The Patriot Will Reply"_

"There's A U.S. Marine"

"_There's A U.S. Marine"_

"And His Motto's Do Or Die"

"_And His Motto's Do Or Die"_

"Don't You Cry For Me Baby"

"_Don't You Cry For Me Baby"_

"Don't You Shed Me Any Tears"

"_Don't You Shed Me Any Tears"_

"I'm A U.S. Marine"

"_I'm A U.S. Marine"_

"And I Live Without No Fear"

"_And I Live Without No Fear"_

"And I Fought For My Country"

"_And I Fought For My Country"_

"From The Continental Soldier"

"_From The Continental Soldier"_

"To The Hundred Hour War"

"_To The Hundred Hour War"_

"Don't You Cry For Me Baby"

"_Don't You Cry For Me Baby"_

"Don't You Shed Me Any Tears"

"_Don't You Shed Me Any Tears"_

"Don't You Cry For Me Baby"

"_Don't You Cry For Me Baby"_

"Don't You Shed Me Any Tears"

"_Don't You Shed Me Any Tears"_

And with that last verse I stopped the run as we had ran the distance so I glanced at my watch to catch the time, 1830, time for dinner.

"Ok men, chow time. Let's go get something to eat, and then I want all of y'all to take a shower. You guys smell about as good as rotten eggs. Now move!" I said to the men.

* * *

March 15, 2550

UNSC Midsummer Night Mess Room

Gunnery Sergeant Jack Price

"Ok, so we came up with a call sign for Anders, you guys want to hear it?" Dmitri said to the guys.

"Ya!" came the response from everybody but Anders, who had a look of fear on his face for a second before it disappeared.

"well gunny and I decided on Wolf for the former lone wolf, as sort of a reminder and cause it sounds cool."

"Good job Anders, you got your call sign first!" Stein said to the sniper.

"Thanks" was the reply that we all heard from the man.

"Soooooo, when do the rest of us get our own call signs?" Connors quipped in.

"As I said when you guys first came to me, you will get your call signs when something happens to you that the staff sergeant or I deem to be worthy of a being a call sign. So it may be a few days, or a few months Connors; you just have to wait for something to happen." I said, finally joining the conversation. "Though I was thinking about giving Stein the call sign of Doc due to his being the squad medic. Now this is the one and only time I will do this, but what do you guys think about it?"

"I like it" said Connors.

"it definitely works" McFee said to the group.

"Well it makes sense, and I'm not opposed to the idea." Stein added.

"Well it looks like you got yourself a call sign there Sinclair, congrats." Dmitri said to the man.

"ok ok, we got all that figured out so now I want you ALL to go take a shower. And that is an order. After that you can do whatever you want."

"Sir, yes Sir" the four men replied and then got up and went out to take a shower.

"Dmitri, that means you to you bear. You smell worse than all four of those men combined!" I said as I faked fanning a smell away from my noise.

"ya ya, I get the idea. Though don't think you are above the stench Jack" he replied before walking off to take a shower.

"_Do I really smell that bad?"_

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**There it was! Chapter 5 of Brothers in Arms, and in a short time span! It is actually about the word same as the rest of my chapter's word wise but those cadences take up a lot of space with little word count. For the next chapter there will be a slight time jump as I really didn't plan chapters 4 or 5 so these are your free chapters.**

**Reviewer Response:**

**Alrighty, besides the grammar mistakes here and there I am loving this story, I can't wait until you have to discribe human Vs covenant combat. Best of luck and semper fi. –william**

**Thanks William! grammar mistakes are all around us, like the force….or like grunts in the gruntpocalypse firefight mode in Halo: Reach. I can't wait for combat either, these non-combat ideas really love to sneak up and turn into full chapters on me when I only planned to have them be half chapters.**

**Well that was the one review for chapter 4…..so reviewer response is over. Please follow, favorite, review! It helps me keep going and make these chapters come faster.**

**Semper Fi,**

**Thearizona**


	6. Feet First

**Here is the next chapter, enjoy! The normal disclaimers apply.**

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Ch. 6: Feet First

March 20, 2550

UNSC Midsummer Night Bridge

Captain Nick Davis

"We are coming out of slip space in 30 seconds captain"

"Thanks Mandy, please inform all combat personal that we are exiting slip space and to be ready for a combat drop."

"Yes Captain" was her response before I heard her voice over the ship-wide intercom telling all combat and support personnel to head to their stations and prepare for combat.

"Mandy, please prepare all weapons for firing as soon as possible once we exit slip space, and do a scan for Covenant ships; I want to know what we are up against also try to contact any UNSC ground forces still fighting on Spiron and find out where they are and what type of state they're in."

"Will do Captain. Coming out of slip space in 5...4...3...2...1" and with that we came out of slip space.

"Captain, there are three Covenant ships in atmosphere of Spiron, two CCS class battle cruisers and one CAS class assault carrier are in orbit around the planets northern hemisphere. The assault carrier is in atmosphere and appears to be dislodging troops; the two cruisers are in orbit. Correction, one is going into atmosphere to unload its troops with the other staying high to protect them. All weapons prepped and ready to fire."

"Thanks Mandy, check with the rest of the ships to make sure they made it through alright and are ready for a fight. They don't appear to have spotted us so I want to give those bastards one hell of a surprise." I said to the AI.

"Yes Sir. All ships are reporting ready for combat and I got word from the planet. The Covenant have landed in the north and are making their way southwards. The city of Deeside has been lost and there is heavy fighting in Prestwick. Might I suggest that we send Gunnery Sergeant Price and his team to assist at Prestwick and then land the 829th at Queensferry as the rest of the fleet is taking care of the Covenant so there is some troops on the ground before the rest of our forces can be deployed?" Mandy said as she brought up a map of the planet with covie control territory in red and territory still under the control of the UNSC and local forces in green.

"That is an excellent idea Mandy; relay those orders to the Gunnery Sergeant and the other ships. I want to coordinate the landings with the attack on those ships so when we go to land troops we can do it without any interference form the Covenant. Also see if we can get a firing solution for the MAC as we go in."

"Yes sir, informing the Gunnery Sergeant now."

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UNSC Midsummer Night Drop Room

Gunnery Sergeant Jack Price

"The Covenant have landed in the north and are making their way southwards. The city of Deeside has been lost and there is heavy fighting in Prestwick. We are sending your team into Prestwick to assist local forces in holding the city. If need be, retreat back and regroup at Queensferry as that is where we are going to land the 829th to make a stand before the rest of the fleets forces can be deployed. You will be launching in 5 minutes." Mandy said, briefing the whole team, as she pointed to spots on a map of the AO.

"Thank you Mandy"

"Your welcome Gunnery Sergeant, now if there is no longer any need for me I will be going, there are other things that need my attention."

"No, that's all" I told her, before her avatar disappeared from the holo table, though the map of the AO stayed. "Ok, so I want everybody to lock and load and get ready to drop. Grab extra ammo as I don't think we will have a chance to resupply once we land until we regroup at Queensferry."

"Yes Sir" they replied before heading off to grab ammo and other supplies before we dropped. All except for Dmitri who had done that earlier so we could go through our pre-drop ritual.

"Once more into the depths of hell Jack?"

"Yup, I picked the deepest, darkest depths I can find, just for you." I said with a chuckle, gaining one back. "Now let's hope we all make it through the drop, I don't like it when a man gets killed in the pod. It's not a way to go out."

"Well then let's hope you taught them well over the course of the last couple of days."

"I know I taught them well, but did you make sure that they got it?" I replied to the big Russian.

"Oh they got it alright; and I'm sure none of them want to make a mistake after yesterday."

"True that" I said just before the men started to filter back into the drop room from the adjacent armory and put their new supplies into their SOEIV's. Once they were done with that I decided to speak up. "Ok Gentlemen, we are here to kick those covie bastards of this planet. Now I want everybody in their pods, it's time to leave the gates of hell. OORAH!"

"OORAH!" Was the reply as everybody got in their drop pods and sealed the door.

"Entering drop zone" Mandy said over the radio.

"Helljumpers, how do we go?"

"WE GO FEET FIRST GUNNERY SERGEANT!"

"Damn right we do"

"Drop in 3…2…1…drop." and with that our six drop pods were dropped and I felt the momentary weightlessness that comes with being in space before gravity takes affect and pulls you down. I looked through my screens to check on my men and the status of their pods as we fell from the ship to the ground.

"Remember to aim away from any buildings, don't want a repeat of that incident now do we?" I said over the radio right as we hit atmosphere and the pods started to heat up. It was a bit after that I heard the computerized voice telling me to open the drag wings, which I did along with everybody else. As we got lower I saw Connors pod shudder from the impact of something and start to head of course with broken drag fins. I wasn't aware of any covie anti-aircraft weapons in the area but you never know with how sneaky they can be.

"Connors, Connors do you read me?" I yelled over the radio.

"I…..Barely…..Breaking up….Hit…..Bird…." I heard over the radio before it fully cut out to static. I looked out and saw his pod start to spin.

"Ok Carnage, listen up! Connors hit a bird and it messed up his pod, so I want everybody to give his pod some room and then land nearby so we can check on him." I told the rest of the squad over the radio. Having received the green acknowledgement light from the squad and adjusted the trajectory to follow where Connors pod went. As we closed in on the ground the glass hardened and polarized right before impact. And with that we all landed and slid the door off of instead of blasting it off. I got out and checked my surroundings to find the rest of my squad doing the same thing. I look to the left and see Connors pod come crashing down on its side.

"Carnage, let's move!" I yelled at the men and pointed in the direction of Connors pod and everybody started to run over to where he had landed. "Connors, can you here us?" I yelled as I banged on his pods door, trying to get a response from the man stuck on the inside of the pod…but got no response. "Dmitri, get his pod open!" I yelled at the man and watched as he reached the keypad to open the door and punched in the code to open the door; but it only opened an inch. "Connors, are you ok?" I yelled into the pods and no response came out from the pod.

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**So no reviews as I am posting this but thanks StargateFFWriter for favoriting, it helped speed up the writing process for this chapter and made my day! And what do you know, this is my first cliffhanger! I can't believe I wrote one because I am so against them, but I just couldn't help it. It just came out. So this did come out quicker then my other chapters for reasons I stated but I just lost interest in writing it near the end, I don't know why but I think I might be coming down with writers block, though I don't know how serious it will be.**

**Semper Fi,**

**Thearizona**


	7. Vulture

**UPDATE: ****so I am going back through and doing some minor editing due to a review, plus I'm taking out some of the harsher curse words. I started at the beginning and am editing all of them, if they need it.**

**Well, here we are again, chapter 7…hope you guys enjoy it! AN at the end and normal disclaimers apply. One more thing, shout out to MDAM for moving this chapter along! That's all, know onto the story!**

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Ch. 7: Vulture

March 20, 2550

Spiron, just outside Prestwick

Gunnery Sergeant Jack Price

"Connors!" I yelled once again into the pod, gaining no response once again. "_Ok think, the door opened a bit so he is getting air. What is holding that door on because if we tried ejecting the door and it is jammed there then it could kill him." _So I looked over the pod, looking at the seam for the door and felt with my finger for any irregularities. Soon enough I found that the mechanism that keeps the door closed during the drop had been jammed closed. I looked at it and noticed feathers stuck in and around the mechanism, "_it's not that easy is it?"_

So I removed the feathers and pulled the clamp out of the way, "ok Dmitri, try it again." I told him, and he promptly did so. And this time instead of getting stuck the door slid all the way open, much to the relief of the rest of us. The moment it open Stein stepped over to the pod and checked out Connors to make sure he was fine as he was still out cold.

"The good news is that all he suffered is a concussion and should be waking up any time now" and as he finished up Connors started to come out of unconsciousness and back into reality.

"Ugh, what happened? I remember hitting something in mid-air then hitting the ground and getting knocked out." He said as he was being helped out of the pod by Stein.

"Well you're not that far off there Connors. You hit a bird, more specifically a vulture, on your way down. The rest is just you hitting the ground and getting knocked out as you remembered, though this is exactly the kind of event that I'm talking about with call signs. So your call sign is going to be Vulture, hope you like it cause it isn't changing." I said, gaining a smile from Dmitri.

"That actually sounds like a great call sign sir." Connors replied back to me.

"Well it better be, I came up with it! Now let's get going, we have wasted enough time lollygagging out here."

"Yes Sir."

"Wolf, your point; Now get us were we need to go." I said to Anders, remembering that he was going to be taking point for the next few missions.

"Yes Sir." He replied with a hint of disappointment in his voice, I think he was hoping I had forgotten. With that we all fell in behind Anders as he led the way to Prestwick, which was only about half a klick from where we landed. As we got closer to the city the sounds of a battle started to make themselves heard, from the crack and boom of our guns to the odd whine that the covvies weapons make. We reached the outskirts of the city about a minute later and I decided to check the map to make sure we were heading for friendly lines. As I was doing that I saw Anders stop, take a knee and raise his rifle to his shoulder and check the window in a three story building that was positioned almost perfectly to provide sniper support down the street we were walking up.

_'CRACK'_

I knew that when he fired he hit the target he was aiming at so I didn't bother asking if he hit the jackal or not. Though what I did not expect was the furry of return fire to come pouring out of that building.

"COVER! Everybody take cover!" I shouted at my team, even though I knew they would have without my order.

"Wolf! Start thinning them out, aim for the gunners on those plasma turrets first. McFee! Aim for the windows with your SPNKr and try and take out their cover and those guns. Vulture, Doc! Start moving up on my command and take out those troops from the inside. Dmitri! You and I will be providing covering fire for Vulture and Doc." I shouted at my men and watched as they got into position behind cover to do their allotted task.

"Everybody ready?" I asked and got a green ready light on my HUD. "COVERING FIRE!" I shouted as we all popped out from behind cover and started putting so many rounds down range it was like a lead curtain with a bit of high explosive added in to the mix from McFee's rockets. This wall forced the covenant troops to take cover or risk getting hit and allowed Doc and Vulture to break from cover and run up to the building. Once I saw then disappear inside I called for a cease fire so that we wouldn't hit them by accident; though that had the side effect of those damn covvies starting to pick their fire back up.

"McFee! You're up next so get ready to run! Everybody else get ready to give him covering fire." I yelled again at the men left with me, getting a green light in response. "Here we go again" I said to myself before shouting "COVERING FIRE!" and as before a wall of lead got thrown up and forced the covvies below cover and allowed McFee to run to the doorway and disappear inside.

"Dmitri, watch your shots and make sure to not hit any of our guys. Wolf, just keep doing what you're doing."

"You know I will watch my shots, I can see where the three of them are." Dmitri responded to me, and I got a green light from Wolf. Well that takes care of them, I still need to watch what I'm shooting at, so I looked back down my scope and zeroed in on an elite that had just jumped back into cover from the interior of the building after getting its shield knocked down and pulled the trigger, sending three rounds down range and right into the elites face and which completely blew out the back of his head, spattered blood and chunks of brain matter on the wall he was using as cover. That scared the grunt standing next to it as it ran right out from cover and was killed by a shotgun blast from the back. How typical of a grunt to get scared and run away, danger be damned. I kept scanning the windows and holes in the wall to find a target but every time I saw a target it would get either a load of buckshot in the head or chest from Connors and his M90, or nailed by Dmitri's M247H. By the time the three men on the inside of the building had taken the second floor the covenant on the third floor realized that they were the last in the building they barricaded the door. Though that didn't stop Wolf from taking them out from through the windows; Dmitri and I didn't have the proper angle or penetration power as the SRS-99D Anders was using.

"Dmitri, I do believe it is time to introduce ourselves in a more….personal way, don't you agree?"

"I agree, let's get going shall we?"

"Lead the way." And with that we jogged over to the door and proceeded to go inside and up to the third floor to add our firepower to the breaching of the floor. As we were walking up to the doors we passed by all the carnage that had been wrought by our covering fire and them pushing their way through. There were elite, jackal, and grunt bodies literally torn to pieces from SRS rounds or shot gun blasts at a near point blank range, and then there were some that were so chewed up from MA5 and M247 rounds that they looked more like Swiss cheese then dead aliens. I'm just glad that we found elites instead of brutes, they may have shields but they are still easier to deal with then those apes.

"Vulture, what's the situation on the other side of the door?" Dmitri asked once we got to the top of the stairs.

"Well from what I have been able to see through a hole in the door there are only two elites left and there are probable 5 or 6 grunts, no jackals though. The only cover is in the form of wooden tables so it should be easy for our rounds to pass right though and hit them." Was the reply.

"Ok then, Dmitri I want you front and center to spray the room once we kick the doors open, focus on the elites. Everybody else give him covering fire and aim for the grunts. McFee get ready to kick in that left door, I'll get the right." I said to the men gathered around me, garnering a yes sir from all of them. "Ok, once more into the breach boys. Ready and BREACHING‼" I yelled as McFee and I kicked down the double doors to the third floor, and instantly out plan fell to shit.

* * *

**Ya, ya, it's another cliff hanger I know. It just means that you guys get to hypothesis about how the plan fell to shit. Any suggestion you might have I may or may not incorporate into the story, though I have an idea on what went wrong, so I'm not completely lost. Anyways, onto the reviews…there has only been one and it was MDAM or FASEgold as I just noticed he(she?) changed it to. And I have to say thank you for the review! I love you story's so it's nice to know that one of the writers I enjoy reading has found my first fanfic and likes it. **

**And case in point, last chapter came out fast due to my story getting favorited, and this came out a bit quicker because of a review. I do believe the slight case of writers block is gone but it has been replaced with something much worse…..FINALS! So I will try and get Ch. 8 started and done as soon as I can but you all know how finals can be. Anyways, see everybody later! Remember to favorite, follow, and review!**

**Semper Fi,**

**Thearizona**


	8. Extraction

**Welcome to Chapter 8 this is the longest chapter I have written and it's for a reason, that will be explained in the AN at the end. For the flooring size, don't think office building size but more like normal house size. Enjoy and remember that all normal disclaimers apply! Also because the radio is finally making an impact, here is how it will look.**

**Radio send: /text/**

**Radio receive: \text\**

**Team Radio: |Text|**

Ch. 8: Extraction

March 20, 2550

Prestwick, on Planet Spiron

Gunnery Sergeant Jack Price

We busted down the doors and where greeted by ten elites instead of two! The reason was the other eight were stealth elites, they must have been cloaked when Connors looked through the door so they would surprise us when we breached; well it worked.

"BACK, BACK, BACK! EVERYBODY BACK AROUND THE CORNER, NOW!" I yelled out to my team; who, to their credit, instantly got back and around the corner of the stairwell. "Anybody hit? Is everybody ok?"

"I'm good" was the reply from Vulture and Doc as they had been behind us.

"Outside of a little burn here and there, I'm good" McFee replied.

"I took a little fire, but all it did was put some burns on my armor. I'm surprised I didn't take anything more serious." Dmitri said to me, as he had taken the most amount of fire due to his position at the front during the breach.

"Where the hell did those extra elites come from? I could have sworn there was only two!" Connors asked.

"They are stealth elites, so they must have been cloaked when you looked so they could get us off guard when we breached, which they did." I said to the man. "Now I think it's time we gave them a little surprise back, don't you?" I said tossing a grenade up and down in my hand, garnering a "hell ya" from the guys. "Get ready to run cause as soon as those grenades go off we are rushing that room. Ready, three…two…one…throw!" and on cue we all chucked a grenade around the corner and into the room. As soon as we all tossed our grenades I started counting, "_one…..two…..three…..four…..five."_

'_KA-BOOM'_

The five grenades went off almost simultaneously; the sound of the grenades going off mixed with the screams of the covvies and the sickening sound of shrapnel hitting flesh to make one of an infantry man's favorite noises. "let's go makes sure their dead." And with that we walked back around the corner, confident that nothing could still be standing after having five grenades go off in such close quarters. "If you can find anything still living then you can take it out however you want, as long as it is within reason." I told them men as we strolled into the room, which was absolutely devastated from the combined power of five grenades. What was even worse than the state of the room was the state in which the dead bodies where in. The few bodies that had been outside of the immediate blast zone were almost unrecognizable due to the amount of shrapnel that they took from the grenades. The rest were turned into unrecognizable mounds of flesh or blown to bits and scattered around the room in tiny bits and pieces.

"Well. That's what happens to alien flesh when it's hit by five grenades at once." I heard McFee say.

"_Leave it to the explosives guy to say that."_ I thought before I noticed a door going to the roof. "_So that's how they got in without us noticing."_

"Wolf, get up here on the double and once you do, set up an over watch on the roof incase the covenant try to take this building back. Doc, Vulture, go make sure the roof is clear, I don't want any surprises; then stay up there and assist Wolf on over watch. McFee, figure out how to rig any entrances you can find that are facing towards the city in case we end up staying at this location. Dmitri, I want to talk to you."

"Yes Sir" Everybody but Dmitri replied as they scurried off to fulfill my orders.

"Ok Jack, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"We just made it into the city, albeit it's only the edge of the city, we still have entered the city and now we need to try and link up with friendly forces. The problem is that the closest friendly units are about 15 klicks to the south-west, at the far south-western edge of the city." I told the man as I pointed to an area on the holo map I had brought up. A perk of being the squad leader is that I have a small holo projector that projects a map of the area for instances like now, when I am having a meeting about what do to next.

"Wait, if I remember the mission briefing correctly, we were supposed to land behind friendly lines and then link up with friendly units. How did we get so far away from the original drop zone?" Dmitri asked me.

"Well, remember when a Connors's pod hit a bird during the drop?"

"Ya."

"Well it appears that the little deviation in our trajectory changed our landing point by about 20 klicks to the north-east, at the far eastern edge of the city."

"So what does that mean for us? We still need to either make our way to friendly lines in the city or track all the way down to friendly lines in Queensferry. The simple and easiest option would be to fall back all the way to Queensferry right now; but we are Helljumpers and we never run away from a fight."

"That leaves us with a grueling 15 klick march through enemy territory to friendly lines."

"Yes Dmitri, that is the only option left. Unless we can somehow, I don't know, persuade a pelican to come pick us up and take us the rest of the way to friendly lines."

"Ya ok, I got the hint. I will call in and see if there is anybody available to give us a ride."

"Thanks" I replied.

/Command this is Kilo-Lima-Mike, over/

\Go ahead Kilo-Lima-Mike, we read you loud and clear; what do you want?\

/Request extraction from my location to friendly lines/

\Extraction request confirm, what is your location?\

/Roger that, we are in a red three story house at the edge of the city; coordinates are 10 Sierra Foxtrot Hotel 56630 81328./

\Command copies all. We are sending a pelican to your location, ETA is 10 minutes.\

/Roger that Command, Kilo-Lima-Mike out./

"Well it looks like I just got us some extraction, ETA is in 10 minutes." Dmitri said once he got off the radio with command.

"Good, that doesn't mean we can let our guard down though."

|Sir, this is Connors on the roof. You might want to come see this.| I heard over the radio.

|Ok, I am on my way up|

"Come on Dmitri; let's go see what they want."

"Right behind you Jack." And we started walking up the stairs to the roof to go see what those three where looking at that they couldn't just tell me over the radio.

"Ok guys, what did you want me to see?" I asked as we got to the top of the stairs and walked up behind them.

"Wolf spotted a large force of covenant ground troops heading our way."

"Ok. Wolf, send the feed from your scope and let me see what we are facing." It only took a second till I got the feed on my HUD and what I saw frightened me. There must have been about 75 maybe 80 elites surrounded by what had to be hundreds of grunts and jackals walking down the street to presumable take back this building.

|McFee, I need you to plant mines along the road and in the ground floor of our building in case they get that far, the take up position in the second story|

|Yes Sir|

"Wolf, stay up here and start sniping the high ranking elites as soon as they are within a thousand meters."

"Yes sir"

"Doc, Vulture, I want you guys on the second story with McFee; you guys will be the main part of our killing power."

"Yes sir" they both responded before heading to the second story to get set up.

"What am I going to be doing?" Dmitri asked.

"You are going to be on the third floor with me, that way we are all spread out and it creates a layered effect with our fire." I replied as I started walking down the stairs to the third floor, motioning for Dmitri to follow me, which he did. "Get your machine gun set up over here" I said as I pointed to a hole in the wall that was just large enough to stick the barrel of his gun through.

"And where are you going to be?" he asked.

"I'm going to be over there" I said, pointing to a window on the far side of the room, "Doing a little sniping while you, Doc, Vulture, and McFee put up a wall of lead."

"Well that sounds like fun. How much time will we have to put up that 'wall of lead' till evac get here?"

"Well the covenant look about two minutes so that leaves six minutes till evac is scheduled to arrive, and you know how they love to be on time." I said sarcastically.

'_CRACK-CRACK'_

After hearing Anders fire two rounds from his SRS99 so quickly that it sounded like it was only one shot, I looked at the feed that I still had open on my HUD and saw the elites trying to keep the grunts from running away as there was an elite missing its head laying in the street.

|I just finished planting the mines and I'm updating everybody's HUD with the locations|

|Roger that McFee. OK everybody listen up, those troops are about two minutes away thanks to Wolfs sniping. When they get within about 500 meters I want everybody to open fire; and remember, count your rounds, we don't have infinite ammo|

|Yes Sir| They all responded over the radio.

'_CRACK'….'CRACK'….'CRACK'….'CRACK'_

"_Damn that guy is good"_ I thought to myself before looking back down my scope to check the range, 850 meters. I think it's time to introduce my bullets to the head of an unlucky grunt. I switch it to single shot and settled my sights on some unfortunate grunts head; let our half a breath; and pulled the trigger. The round went straight through its face and ruptured the methane pack, causing it to explode and killed three of the surrounding grunts and wounding another three.

"Good shot there Jack." Dmitri said as he had watched the shot and it's after affects from his spot a few feet over.

"Thanks, I think that it is about time you guys joined the party, don't you?"

"I would agree."

|Ok guys, time to open fire. McFee, I want you to fire a rocket or two at any jackal shield wall you see pop up| and with that everybody pulled the trigger and sent out that wall of lead I had asked for. I just crouched there looking through my scope at the carnage that was being wrought by three MA5C's and a M247H. The 7.62 mm full metal jacket rounds tore through the first few waves of grunts, jackals, and elites; completely destroying both flesh and shields in the process. Whenever they aimed at a certain section the aliens over there started to fall over dead, looking more like Swiss cheese due to the amount of rounds hitting them.

"Hey Jack, how much time do we have till evac gets here?"

"Five minutes Dmitri, we still have five minutes. But it doesn't look like we are in that bad of a shape."

'_KA-BOOM'_

And with that explosion a cluster of grunts, jackals, and elites on the right side of the street just disappeared in a cloud of dust, never to grace this world with their filth again. But then I saw something I didn't want to see through my scope.

|WRAITH! There is a wraith on the field. McFee get a bead on it and take it out, that's your new priority!|

"Roger that Gunny" he replied right as the wraith fired.

"Eyes up Wolf, watch that shot and avoid it then get off that roof!" I yelled at the sniper, and then watched the blue blob of death fall short. As soon as it landed I heard Anders come down the stairs and take up position right next to the wall, his rifle pointing right through a hole in the wall, and opened fire as if nothing had happened. Another plasma shot landed outside, but a bit closer than the last one. There were getting their aim dialed in. Before it could launch a third, McFee launched both of his rockets at the wraith and both hit it. The first only managed to blow some armor off; the second one hit right in the same place and must have damaged the fuel tanks because a second later it blew up, taking out the four elites standing next to it.

|Good shot McFee, keep scanning for any more vehicles and those shield walls|

|Roger that sir|

'_KA-BOOM'_

This time is wasn't one of McFee's mines but a shot from a fuel rod cannon that caused the explosion, and tore away part of the building.

"Wolf, look for that fuel rod cannon and make sure it never fires again!" I yelled at the sniper, getting the green acknowledgment light pop up on my HUD. At this time the covenant had close within about 250 meters of our building and the fire was starting to get fiercer as more and more aliens got closer and close.

"Well, so much for not being in a bad shape huh Jack?" Dmitri spoke up over the sounds of the firefight.

"You know what, screw you Dmitri, screw you! Now get back to work, those covvies on the right don't seem scared enough." I yelled back at the man.

|Sir, we are running out of ammo down here, what the ETA for evac?| I heard Vulture say over the radio. I looked down at the timer on my tactical assistant pad on my left wrist.

|We got about a minute before evac gets here; let's hope they are on time. In the meantime, keep firing!|I said to the men, and even though I know it's not possible, it seemed like the amount of fire coming out of the house had doubled. Grunts were falling before they could even understand what was happening. The jackals were able to hold out longer then the grunts due to their energy gauntlets but, they relied on them as portable cover and when that cover ran out of energy, those jackals fell just as dead as the grunts. The only ones lasting any amount of time were the elites, not due in part to their shields but to them actually have some semblance of a brain to think with. Though when you are under heavy fire and you stand up to take pot shots, you generally don't walk away from that encounter.

\This is the Ironclad Bee, did somebody order a pick up down there?\

/Roger that Ironclad Bee, this is Kilo-Lima-Mike. We are in a red three story and taking fire. The LV is hot, repeat, the LV is hot.\

\Copy that Kilo-Lima-Mike, this is Ironclad Bee coming hot, you might want to real small in your building because I'm dropping some missiles on those troops on your door step\

/Roger that/

|Evac is here boys, its coming in fast and hard so get your buts up here, we are leaving!|and with that the street outside erupted in fire as the twin missile launches mounted in the wings let loose with all the rockets it had, buying us a minute or two to get to the pelican on the roof

\This is Ironclad Bee getting down and dirty, tell your men to get aboard and let's get out of here\

"Roger that, we are boarding now but we came from different story's so wait for my go to take off" I yelled at the pilot and then turned around in enough time to see McFee come running out of the door and up the ramp of the pelican.

"You the last man McFee?"

"Roger that sir" he replied.

"Ok, that's everybody you can take off now Ironclad"

"Take your seats gentleman, I passed by some covvie triple-A on the way in and I don't want to lose anybody out the back again." The pilot yelled back at us as we took off.

"Wait, again?" I head Connors say as he griped the safety harness harder.

"Na, just messing with ya. We should be out of range of any of the covvie triple-A battery's that I saw coming in here. So sit back and enjoy the ride, ETA to base is 8 minutes."

**Well there you guys go, Chapter 8. Now the reason this is so long is not only because I just couldn't end it with them still there and under fire, well I could but that would have been a horrible cliff hanger and then a really short chapter 9. So school is ending and I will be having less computer access due to me not having my laptop anymore, cause I have to turn it in, but that doesn't mean I will stop posting till summer ends and school starts back up again and I get the computer back. It just means that I will not be posting as often as I have been. So I hope this extra-long chapter kind of makes up for it.**

**Onto reviewer response time, thanks** **markedmoderator for the review and for pointing out my mistake in Ch. 3. They have been corrected. also thanks for following the story as well!**

**See, you reviews really do help change this fanfic! So please leave a review and ask questions. It helps iron out and details that might be missing and straighten out anything that needs to be straightened. So please leave a review, or maybe follow the story so you know when a new chapter is posted, or favorite it…..cause favoriting it makes me feel good cause somebody likes my story enough to add it to their favorites list.**

**Semper Fi,**

**Thearizona**


	9. Rest and Relaxation

**Here is Chapter 9 folks, enjoy!**

* * *

Ch. 9: Rest and Relaxation

March 20, 2550

Airspace around Forward Operating Base Invincible, Prestwick

Gunnery Sergeant Jack Price

"Thanks for pulling us out of their when you did…"I paused, not knowing the pilots name.

"Gary, Gary Owens" came the reply, as well as an outstretched hand.

"Jack Price" I replied, taking the hand and shaking it. "Those covvies were just getting a little bit too close for comfort. By the way, where are you taking us to?"

"I'm taking you guys there" he said as he pointed strait out the cockpit, "FOB Invincible."

I looked in the direction he was pointing as saw the base. It was bigger than I thought it would have been. From its size alone you wouldn't think of it as a forward operating base but more as a full on base of operations.

"That's the FOB, I thought it would be smaller, why is it so large?"

"Well it used to be normal sized for a FOB but as the covenant started to push us out of the city the troops retreated back to the nearest base; and for most it was Invincible. So I guess the name forward operating base doesn't suit it anymore due to the amount of men and machines stationed there but nobody has bothered to change. Plus it is the most forward of all the bases at the moment."

"I see." I replied as we landed at the base and started to shuffle out of the pelican.

"You might want to go see the commander, he should be in the CP which is on the other side of that hill" he said pointing to a hill out the back of the pelican, "it's hard to miss it, just look for the building with all the antennas sticking out of it."

"Right, thanks for the evac Owens, see you around. Let's move Carnage." I said as I started walking in the direction Owens had pointed to; the guys quickly falling in behind me. As we walked through the base I could see where tents and buildings had been added when all the troops came in and where there were the more permanent buildings from the original FOB. There was also burn marks, craters, and the occasional wrecked vehicle from multiple Wraith and Banshee attacks. As we reached the top of the hill I stopped and looked around. You could see the entirety of the base from atop that hill, as well as into the city.

"Anders, when we end up defending the base I want you right here on this hill" I told him, "Great fields of view and fire."

"Yes sir"

"Let's keep going, I can see the CP from here." And we headed down the hill and into the command post. It was a small one room building but for a FOB that's all you need. As we walked in I stop us right near the edge of the holo table. "Gunnery Sergeant Jack Price and Carnage Squad reporting for duty sir!" I said as we all saluted the man.

"At ease gentlemen; I am Brigadier General Tsubasa Sang and welcome to FOB Invincible."

"Thank you sir" I replied as we all stood at ease.

"Now, what can I do for you son?" he asked.

"_What's with generals and calling everybody son?" _I thought. "We just came out of a fierce firefight so some R&amp;R and a resupply would be nice before heading out again. Also a status update on the space battle."

"I can help you with a resupply; the armory is right here" he said as he pointed to a map of the base and highlighting were the armory was, "R&amp;R is going to be another story though."

"Why is that sir?"

"I have intel reports that the covenant is going to launch a major offensive soon. I don't know when exactly the attack is going to be but my intel says it will happen within the next three or four hours. So you can rest up until the attack anywhere you can find some space, but I need you in tip-top fighting position on the front line when they attack so we can repel it."

"Yes sir; are there any reports on the space battle? It was just starting when we dropped."

"Yes there is. The Navy gave the covenant one heck of a beating, shooting down the two CCS battle cruisers and damaging the CAS assault carrier with only minor damage to the Pioneer. Unfortunately one of the cruisers managed to land its troops before being blasted out of the sky and the assault carrier landed just perfectly to block the larger ships from being able to land close enough to drop off troops and supplies."

"Wow, when have we ever done that good in a space battle?"

"Whenever we catch them off guard and with their shields down."

"True, now if you don't mind I would like to get my men resupplied and ready for the upcoming battle."

"Of course gunnery sergeant, you and your squad are dismissed."

"Thank you sir" I replied as I turned around and walked out of the building with my squad right behind me.

"Ok guys let's get to the armory and stock up on ammo and prepare for that attack; then we can get some rest." I told the men as we walked over to the armory. When we got there I noticed that there were boxes and crates stacked all over the place, it was a maze of sorts.

As we got closer I stopped one of the solders coming out, "Excuse me, where can we get some ammo?"

The soldier was reading something on his holo-pad so he didn't look up, "Does nobody listen? You're going to have to go to one of the ammo distribution sites that are put throughout the camp." He said in an irritated tone.

"Corporal, I was told to resupply here by the general and I really do not want to go chase down another ammo dump" I said, slightly irritated myself that he didn't even bother to look up. He looked up after I said that though and what he saw scared the crap out of him. Well, who wouldn't be scared by a squad of ODST's, in full armor, glaring at them? "Now, how do we make our way through this maze to get to the main armory?"

"Y...y...you just follow the path in and take your second right, you can't miss it. Harvey is the guy in charge." He replied before scurrying off to recover from the heart attack we most likely gave him then finish whatever he was going to do before we stopped him.

"Well let's get going, I'm starting to feel less threatening without all my ammo" Dmitri said as he walked into the maze and disappeared.

"let's get going, I'm sure you guys all feel the same way" I said before walking into the maze of boxes and crates, hearing my squad follow me in. it truly was a maze, there was opening to the left and right and it curved every now and again. After a little walk we found the second right and took it. It seemed like forever before we came out of the maze and saw the armory. For a forward operating base it had a pretty big armory; but then again, it was most likely added onto when all the troops started pouring in from the city.

"Jack, over here, I got the ammo crates we need." I heard Dmitri call out. I looked towards the sound of his voice and saw him standing near a small stack of ammo boxes. He was filling up his ammo from one of the boxes, but had taken the time to also collect ammo boxes for the weapons we used.

"Ok boys, it's a field day on ammo; gather as much as you can carry. If this offensive is as big as I think it is, we won't have time to resupply"

"Yes Sir"

"So Dmitri, how did you score all this ammo?" I asked him as I noted there was ammo for everything from Anders SRS to his LMG to McFee's grenade and rocket launchers.

"I just used the old Vasilyev charm on Harvey." He replied with a smirk.

"Oh, so you just showed him your muscles and he decided to let you have unrestricted access to the ammo?"

"Pretty much, I asked where the ammo was and he took one look at me and just pointed over here and said take what you want."

"Ha-Ha. Hey Dmitri, are those 9.5 mm APHE rounds on the other side of you?" I asked upon seeing the box.

"Yes they are, I was keeping them apart from the others so I could give them to you. Have fun!"

"Oh I will!" I replied back as he handed them to me. At that time everybody had finished loading up on ammo and grenades and I even saw McFee shoving some SPNKr ammo to Stein for him to carry. "Ok guys, let's go get some sleep before that attack." I said as I started walking out the maze, not waiting for them but I knew they were right behind me. When the general said we could camp anywhere I instantly thought of the hill we had stopped at earlier. So I lead the men there and once we reached the top of the hill I turned around.

"Let's get some rest before that battle shall we?" I said to the agreement of everybody as they then just laid down anywhere and fell asleep. It just amazes me how a person can fall asleep in full body armor, but then again I have done it in the past. I didn't feel tired but I knew I was and as soon as my head hit to ground I was out cold until whenever the covenant decided to launch their attack.

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**Chapter 9 folks, there you go. I managed to write this chapter in a single day! This is a filler chapter that somehow snuck up on me as I was writing it. I had planned for the events in Ch. 10 to take place here but they just didn't fit so I ended up cutting and pasting a lot of ideas for this chapter to the next. Well, I see that again there is not one review...or a favorite…or a follow. :( I was hoping for at least one of those things to happen. Reviewing helps me flush ideas out and brings a fresh perspective to the table so please leave a review. **

**Semper Fi,**

**Thearizona**


	10. Hold the Line! Part One

**Here we are again, another chapter another intro. Enjoy!**

* * *

Ch. 10: Hold the Line! Part one

March 20, 2550

Forward Operating Base Invincible, Prestwick

Gunnery Sergeant Jack Price

'_KA-BOOM'_

As soon as the first wraith shot, blob, whatever the thing is that it fires hit the ground I was up and yelling at my team to get up; but it was irrelevant as they were already up and grabbing their weapons. Once they had all gather their gear and gather around me I spoke up, "ok guys, looks like the covenant have finally decided to attack, let's go make sure they pay for their arrogance in blood, OORAH!

"OO-RAH!"

"Wolf, remember that this is your hill. Don't let anybody kick you from this spot. Aim for the officers and don't miss!" I yelled at the man as I started run towards where the fighting had started.

"Yes Sir" was the reply from the sniper as he set up his SRS 99 in a spot the he had made before falling asleep. As we got closer and closer to the fighting I could tell that this was going to be one heck of a battle by the amount of covvie troops being committed to the attack, and it was only the first of many waves to come. There must have been well over 500 grunts and jackals attacking a small one klick section of front, trying to break through so they could get behind the rest of our lines. If they did then the whole base would collapse in on itself. When we finally got to the trenches that were acting as the front lines the body count was adding up.

"I want you guys spread out alone the trench with 10 foot spacing; that way we have the most effect." I said to the men, and then watched them spread out and hop into the trench. The trench was only about two feet deep and there was a two foot tall sandbag wall atop of that so it came up to four feet of protection for anybody in the trench. About every 15 feet there was an AIE-486H which were absolutely ripping through the grunts and jackals as if they weren't even there. Those gatling guns sure put a lot of rounds down range and when you get a lot of them in a small distance then you have a practically impervious wall of lead. It was this wall of lead that those grunts and jackals were running into. With those gatling guns going the first wave of grunts and jackals there was no need to waste the ammo.

"Don't waste your ammo, let the machine guns do the work." I yelled out to the Marines around me, as well as my own men. Whenever the jackals tried to form a shield wall it was broken up by concentrated fire from the MG's and a grenade or two from a thoughtful Marine. This process went on for maybe five, ten minutes before they started to pull back. Though with all the dead bodies on the ground it was slow going and they lost even more troops.

"That was just the first wave. They are going to be back; and when they are they will be in force so expect elites." Though little did I know what was really coming next.

"WRAITH SHOTS INCOMING! Take Cover!" somebody yelled as the opening shots of a bombardment starting to become visible.

Seeing everybody duck down in the trench and take their eyes off the blue blobs of death I shouted out, "Don't take your eyes of those shots! Watch where they will fall and move out of the way!"

After that I saw everybody look up and start to move accordingly, and in most cases saved their lives, but there are some people who were too scared or stubborn to do that. The unlucky few to get caught in one of the plasma blast got cooked to a crisp. It's not a pretty sight, a human being that's been cooked like that. The flesh shrinks up causing them to look like a piece of human shaped burnt meat, which is what they are. Though due to the inaccuracy of the covenant gunners and our troops watching and avoiding the shots, not a lot of people ended up as charred pieces of flesh. It was then that I noticed a pair of scorpion tanks siting in a hull-down position so I ran into the ditch that they were hidden in and coaxed both of them out of their tank to talk to them.

"What's the problem here? Why aren't these guns firing?"

"There is nothing to shoot at."

"What do you mean? You see where those wraiths are firing from so put some rounds into that area, it's not like they move after firing."

"There are no clear lines of fire to the target! We would be wasting our rounds."

"I don't care; blow the buildings down if you have to. It's not like they are big buildings, and we can always get you more ammo if you run out."

"ya, ok; come on Joe, mount up, let's get in this fight?" and the two tankers climbed back into their tanks and soon those 90 millimeter guns where roaring and taking out the wraiths. They got into a rhythm, one would blow down the building, then they would both take a shot at the exposed wraith before it knew what to do; and by that time the first tank was reloaded and a second shell to the exposed inner workings of the wraith produced a lovely blue explosion. As this was going on the covenant ground forces started moving in. we almost had a repeat of the first wave but there were elites mixed in with the group.

"Gunners, aim for the elites. If you see any heavy weapons make those priorities over the elites. We need to keep the tanks in operational status as long as possible, they are our life line!" I shouted out to the machine gunners. There were elites, grunts, and jackals falling dead all over the place. It was an alien meat grinder. They kept pushing in fresh troops and we kept spitting out dead ones. Not to put the responsibility square on the machine gunners heads but as they were focusing down the elites everybody else was going for the grunts and jackals.

\Gunnery Sergeant Price, this is General Sang, how copy? Over\

/Read you loud and clear General, what do you want, I'm busy/

\What's the situation on the ground\

/Well we are being assaulted by several hundred elites, grunts, and jackals; yet are still alive and kicking and giving them hell. Good thing is that there haven't been any vehicles besides the wraiths, which are being taken care of. Not even a ghost/

\Good, good; need I remind you how important it is you hold the line. You told me the situation, now, how bad is it\

At that time and elite ultra with duel energy swords started charging the trench, not caring about the rounds hitting and depleting his shields, aimed right at me as I was the one giving the orders. So I pointed my BR right at its head and pulled the trigger, sending three APHE rounds down range and causing its head to explode.

/It's getting pretty sporting down here sir/

\ok, I will leave you to the task at hand. Good luck, Sang out\

I don't know if it was a good thing he had called or a bad thing cause as soon as he hung up the ground started to shake. Only two things could make the ground shake like it was; scarabs and locusts.

"LOCUSTS!" I shouted right as the first of four locusts firing down at us, taking out one of the AIE-486H's in the process. "God damn it, McFee! Start working those things over with your SPNKr and the 40 mike-mike! When those shields fall, everybody aim for the cockpit and take them down!"

As I was saying that the scorpions behind me turned their attention from the hunting wraiths to hunting locusts; but a single locust can do more damage than a single wraith, and is harder to kill. It looked back and saw the second locust erupt in flames as two 90 millimeter rounds hit it, destroying the shields. Before I could say anything I watched a single rocket fly strait into the cockpit and blow it sky high. I looked over at McFee who had just fired another rocket at the first locust, creating a repeat performance, like a machine.

|I just come up with a call sign for McFee, Machine!|I said over the squad radio, and it seemed to be popular cause everybody congratulated him on it. It was at that time that I heard a sound not many people hear and live to tell about, it was the feral yell of a hunter.

"_Well when shit hits the fan it really hits with a force"_ I thought as I saw maybe eight hunters come out of the city, heading towards out lines. I looked around and saw it in the faces of the Marines around me; they were scared and wanted to fall back.

"Everybody listen up!" I said just as the last locust blew apart, "I know you all want to fall back, live to fight another day, but we can't. We need to hold this line as long as possible, causing as much damage to the covenant as we can before we are overrun and FORCED to fall back. Now nothing short of a scarab is going to change my mind. We stay and we hold the line! Now who's with me?!" That inspirational speech seemed to clear everybody's head and all the Marines around me started to fight with a renewed vigor. Yet me and my big mouth, only a few minutes later after we had taken down four of the eight hunters to the loose of quite a few brave men I heard a shout go up that nobody want to hear.

"SCARAB!" As soon as I heard that I heard its main gun charge up and the buildings right in front of us where disintegrated under its heavy beam, leaving us with a perfect view of the largest scarab I have ever scene.

"Well shit, me and my big mouth."

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**DOUBLE DIGITS PEOPLE! and my first two part chapter, of sorts. I'm so happy! Though**** I'm so spoiling you guys before I lose computer access tomorrow. Two chapters in as many days, that's something special. There are two movies and one historical event that I used and slightly reference in this chapter, let's see who can figure them out. **

**Thanks William for the reviews. I completely understand about not wanting to wait for it to post. Thanks for the suggestions as well! As you can see I clearly used them in the making of this chapter. Don't worry about future chapter posts, I plan on writing using my iPhone; it will take longer to post the chapters but it will still happen.**

**See! Reviews help me know you guys care about this story and if you have any ideas I will try to use them. So I may or may not need a OC character for a future chapter, I'm still thinking about. If I end up need it I will ask for on in the AN. And that's the end to chapter 10, have a great week!**

**Semper Fi,**

**Thearizona**


	11. Hold the Line! Part Two

**Back here again, enjoy!**

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Ch. 11: Hold the Line! Part Two

March 20, 2550

Forward Operating Base Invincible, Prestwick

Gunnery Sergeant Jack Price

"_Me and my mike foxtrotting big mouth_" I thought as the dust settled from the scarab knocking down the buildings in its way. Luckily the scarab had to finish making its way through the town before it was in a suitable firing position.

"Gunny! I know you said we wouldn't fall back for anything short of a scarab but...there is a scarab right in front of us soooo. What are we going to do?" Connors said.

"We are going to stay here and hold the line as long as possible. That scarab is yet in position to fire on us and if we run now then we will get overrun by those ground troops." I replied as I opened a radio channel to the general.

/General, we have a scarab on the field and want to know when we can pull out/

\please repeat that, did you say you have a scarab on the field?\

/yes sir, we are looking at a full size scarab advancing on our position through the city and we would not like to be here when it is so when can we fall back?/

\you can fall back once we have cleared the base of all non-combat personnel. That will be done in about 15 minutes; maybe sooner if we can get them moved faster\

/yes sir. Though in exactly 15 minutes I am pulling everybody out. Marines, ODST's, everybody unless told otherwise/

\ok, if we get done sooner I will inform you\

"Well boys, it looks like we are stuck here for another 15 minutes before we can fall back" I yelled out to the troops surrounding me.

"How do you plan on dealing with the scarab Gunny? Cause that thing will be here in less than 15 minutes; and when it does get here we are all going to die!" I heard somebody yell out.

"We get the tanks to shoot the legs out and then my squad and I will advance to the scarab under covering fire from you guys; then we will enter it and activate its self destruct." I replayed to the man.

"We will?" Connors spoke up.

"Yes Connors, we will. Do you have any problems with that?"

"No sir"

"Carnage squad, form up on me! Let's get ready to run." I called to the men who soon formed up around me in the trench. As they got there I told them to stay put and ran back to the two scorpions. Once I got the drivers back out of their vehicles I pointed out the front left leg of the scarab.

"That is the leg I want you two to target. Once it goes down to self repair start clearing the upper deck and try and get shots at the main cannon if it starts tracking us."

"Ya ok. I don't want to waste any more ammo then I have to so do you mind if shoot at the ground troops instead of an empty top deck on the scarab?" One of the tankers asked.

"No I don't mind, when you do try and focus on the covvies around us so we can have an easier path to the scarab. Remember to try and harvest the most meat per shell." I replied. "Now get back in your tanks and start shelling that scarab! Remember, aim for the knee on that leg." And with that the two tankers got back into their tanks.

_"If we survive this I'm buying those guys both a drink." _I promised myself as I headed back to the trench. As soon as I got there the scorpions started firing.

_'BOOM'_

and with that first shot fired I turned to the marines around us and yelled for covering fire, then turned to my men and shouted out, "Come on you sons of bitches, you want to live forever!" And jumped out of the trench and made a beeline for the nearest, yet farthest, piece of cover I could see. As I ran I watched the covenant forces in front of me get mowed down by the blistering fire that was being put up by the marines at my back and my squad as we ran up. When I stopped and slide into cover behind a wrecked ghost I did so with enough force to make it skid a few feet.

Once behind it I felt more the I heard Dmitri come sliding into cover besides me. The covenant assault picked up at that time so we were stuck there. The two tankers must have seen the assault as all of a sudden the ground in front of us started to explode. I looked back to see where everybody was in cover and saw Vulture and Doc off to the right repurposing one of the covenant deplorable covers to use as their own. McFee was in a shell creator off to the left; I had to look hard to see him but Wolf was in the same shell creator, using the lip as a mount for his SRS.

"Wolf, stay there and cover us; Machine, stay and protect him!" I yelled at the two men.

"Yes sir" McFee replied, and I got a green acknowledgement light from Wolf, typical. Knowing that I had those two behind me and backing us up made me feel a heck of a lot safer.

"Doc, Vulture, you two get to run with me and staff to take out that scarab."

"Yes sir" was the reply from both of them. As I looked up from behind cover I saw that the assault had lessened and the tanks shifted their fire back to the leg of the scarab. We still had about 1000 meters to go till we hit the scarab, and we were only halfway there!

"Come on your guys, let's get as close to that scarab as we can!" I yelled at the three men around me. As I jumped over the wrecked ghost I was using as cover I fired at an elite who had just lost just shield. The three 9.5 mm armor piercing high explosive rounds tore straight into its head and caused it to explode into a beautiful red mist and covered the four grunts around it with the brain matter. Before the grunts could scream in fear they each received multiple rounds to the head, courtesy of the three men behind me.

Running through a covenant assault to get to a scarab is most definitely not a fun experience, it's downright scary due to you having to dodge not only plasma rounds, but your own rounds as the troops behind you try to shoot around you to hit the covenant. What is even scarier is have a round fired from a SRS 99 fly right past your head! I felt the air pressure change as it flew by my head and was about to shout out to wolf for being so reckless and almost taking my head off, but I saw the body of a stealth elite appear a few feet in front of me. Well, minus a head of course.

"God damn it wolf, next time give a little warning before you fire a round next to my head! But good job seeing that elite" I yelled at him.

"Yes sir" he replied. As that went down the tankers finally were able to crack the armor on the leg joint and the scarab came down to go into self repair mode. We were almost there, but we were still of close enough to make it with how fast we were moving.

"Come on guys; pick up the pace, double time it!" I yelled at the three men following right behind me as I started to pick up speed. As we started to sprint to the lowered scarab I noticed that the amount of covenant troops was thinning out. I chalked it up to us getting behind the front lines. It was also at that time that we reached the scarab.

|wolf, is the deck clear for us to move up?| I asked him over the radio so we wouldn't be ambushed climbing up. As normal all I got was the green affirmative light.

"Ok, staff and I will act as the base and Vulture you go up first as you have the M90. Doc, you go up after him and then the staff and I will join you." I told everybody. Due to the bottom edge of the scarabs platform being about ten or eleven feet off the ground we had to boost up the first few people before they turn around and help pull you up. Dmitri helped up Vulture and I helped up Doc. Once they took a look around and saw there wasn't anybody around they turned back around first helped Dmitri up cause that man must way a ton with all his armor and ammo, so I took some of it and once he made it up I threw his gun and ammo to him. Now that Dmitri and all his assorted parts and pieces were up on the scarab I jumped up and grabbed Vultures outstretched hand, and as soon as I did the scarab must have finished its self repair as it started to rise again, with me dangling from it!

"Vulture, pull me up!" I yelled at the man as we raised up above the ground. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not afraid of heights. I'm an ODST and being dropped from space is in the job description, but that is in a pod that will protect me, if I was to fall right now I would hit the ground and most likely die from the impact, armor be damned. Luckily Vulture pulled me up before we could test how well our armor protects from falls.

"Thanks Connors, now let's go get to that control room and blow this SOB to kingdom come. Oorah."

"Oorah!" and with that we set of for the control room. We never came across any living covenant troops as we made our way to the entrance, we did find lots of dead ones though. Some you could tell got hit by shrapnel from the scorpions, others had the distinctive lack of body parts that comes with getting hit by a SRS.

"Vulture, I want you on the right side of the entrance; Doc, form up on him ready a grenade and on my call roll it down the ramp. Dmitri, same thing but on the left side, you up front. Once our grenades go off I want you and Vulture to run down and throw a flash bang into the main room, stick to your side." I ordered and then watched as Vulture went over to the right side and mirrored Dmitri on the left. Both had their M90's out and read to turn the corner and obliterate anything left standing. I took my spot behind Dmitri with a grenade in my hand, I looked over and saw that Doc had one in his hand, ready to roll it down the ramp to the inside.

"Ready and roll." I said quietly, so that any covenant inside wouldn't hear it, but loud enough for Doc to hear it. On that cue we both rolled our grenades down the ramp and then tucked back around the corner waiting for the blast. I didn't hear any movement coming from inside but I knew there were some troops at the bottom of the ramp, so that meant the covvies didn't see the grenades or there wasn't anybody down there. As I counted down the seconds till the grenades went off I heard a grunt yell out "GRENADE!" one second before they went off.

_'KA-BOOM'_

With that explosion Dmitri and Vulture both turned the corner and rushed down the ramp and tossed their flash bangs down their side and as soon as Doc and I got behind them again those grenades went off, blinding and disorientating the Elites and Grunts inside for long enough so that the four of us could turn the corner and utterly destroy everybody inside. The elites had huge chunks missing out of them due to their shields holding of half the buckshot but not the other half. The grunts practically disintegrated under the hail up gunfire. Once the last of the elites dropped down to the ground I walked over the control panel and started typing in the commands that had been drilled into me because I was an ODST squad leader on how to activate a scarabs self destruct feature.

"Ok boys, I do believe our job here is over" I said as I typed in the last command and all the screens started to flash red, "now let's get out of here."

As we where jogging back out Connors spoke up, "Sir, how are we going to get off if we are still high in the air?"

"I stopped the scarab so when you jump aim for the leg, grab on and slid the rest of the way down. Like this" I replied as I jump from the lowest part of the scarab we could get to and out onto one of the legs and grabbed a hold of the metal plates and started to slow myself down that way. As soon as I hit the ground I turned around as Dmitri came sliding down the leg, follow closely by Vulture and the Doc.

"I would much rather not be standing beneath this thing when it blows so could we go or do you want to stand and gawk at what you just did?" I asked as I started to move away. That snapped Vulture and Doc out of their little trance and back into the real world as they quickly caught up to Dmitri and myself as we ran away from the Scarab and towards our own lines. We managed to make it back to Wolf and Machine just as it exploded. Once it did we all ran back towards the trench and hoped into it. Right as I did I heard a marine yell out, "this is it, game over man, game over!" and I turned around to see what he was so frightened of. What I saw made me stand there, jaw hanging open. When I finally got my jaw muscles to work I called command.

/Command this is Kilo-Lima-Mike requesting permission to fall back/

\Kilo-Lima-Mike request denied, we still need a few more minutes to get everybody out. You will hold your ground\

/Sir, respectfully I will not be following that order. I am pulling back. We are facing a much larger force then before, this time there are two scarabs and we can see more ghosts, wraiths, and banshees then we can count in the distance./

\I understand, but we need a few more minutes…\

/Sir, we don't have a few more minutes, its either we fall back now or we all die! I'm falling back with everybody here/

\ok, go ahead and fall back.\

/thank you, sir/

"How are we going to take these on Gunny?" I head another frightened marine asked, most likely remembering me saying we wouldn't fall back.

"We aren't. We are falling back…all the way this time. Everybody pack it up! We are falling back to Queensferry. Try and get as much gear as you can, it will make the defense of Queensferry that much easier, and then bum a right however you can." I told everybody and then grabbed my team and started to fall back. On our way back Connors asked how we were going to get there if we didn't have a warthog?

"I called in a little favor from pilot we all know." And almost on cue a Pelican came roaring out of the sky and landed in front of us.

"this is Ironclad Bee read to go, get your men aboard Gunny. You owe me one heck of a favor for this." Garry shouted back at us.

"we are all aboard Garry, let's get out of here." I shouted up to him and we started to fly away from all the covenant and towards more friendly lines in Queensferry.

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**Hey everybody! I started right this and somehow an extra 1,000 words added itself onto this chapter. Not that I'm complaining. If I'm going to not be posting as often I might as well make them longer. So that is the end of this mini-arc. There aren't any new reviews, or favorites, or follows, so I'm just going to leave you with this request. I need an OC! I said a few chapters ago I might be needing one and I do! So I need a UNSC smart AI. I know I have the ships AI Mandy, but I need another for a something that is going to happen in the distant future of this story. It will be a small, yet big role so he is the list of details I would like:**

**Name: **

**Gender: odd request for an AI but it helps with what he/she will sound and look like.**

**Appearance: so what they look like, color of their avatar.**

**Personality: are they cocky, a smartass, quite, reserved, and the likes.**

**Anything else you might want me to know about the AI is welcome. ****You can submit it through a review or through a PM.**

**Semper Fi,**

**Thearizona**


	12. Prepare

**And I'm back. Everybody enjoy chapter 11? I had bungie and 343 on the phone the other day. They wouldn't give me the rights to halo. So I don't own anything but the OC's I am using, which are all my own creation.**

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Ch. 12: Prepare

March 21, 2550

Queensferry, Spiron

Gunnery Sergeant Jack Price

"Thanks for the ride Garry." I yelled at the cockpit of the pelican as we walked off the ramp and into the base.

"No problem. You call, we haul." I heard him yell out. When I looked around where we had landed I saw that we had landed inside the ferry complex that completely overshadowed the town itself with an area of about 250 acres by the looks of it. All in all it was a pretty good defensive position due to a multitude of factors. It starts on the outside with another trench that stretched for about thirty feet on each side of a one foot thick titanium-steel composite gate. The wall itself was fifteen feet tall and one and a half feet thick, rebar reinforced concrete that surrounded the city facing side of the ferry terminal. On the inside of that wall were a few guard towers that had excellent field of views for a sniper or an observer. As we started walking towards the office building that had been set up as the command post I saw Colonel Foster and Major Garcia stepping out.

"Well, well, look who the cat dragged in. Did that little firefight after you landed tire you out enough that a little covenant assault was able to beat you?" Garcia smugly said as soon as he saw us.

"Ya, we only had enough time to take out one scarab before we were forced back. How many did you take out?" Dmitri replied knowing they haven't seen any combat yet. That effectively shut the major up though.

"So how have you guys held up?" Foster asked me.

"Pretty good. We got pushed out of the FOB after three scarabs showed up. We managed to destroy one of them before the other two showed. The whole time we were under a heavy fire so we also lost a quite a few marines. So, how did we fair in space against the covenant? I heard we had won from a higher up, but when haven't we heard those rumors?"

"Actually we did win."

"Really?" I asked him, slightly surprise that we had actually won a space battle and it wasn't a lie to keep our morale up.

"Ya, shot down the two CCS battlecruisers with only minor damage to the Pioneer. The assault carrier landed but they don't want to approach it with its shields still up."

"Well I guess that is going to be one of our missions in the near future. If we all manage to survive this that is."

"True, well you better go and see where the general wants you and your squad."

"Yes sir" I replied sarcastically, as we had been friends for so long that military courtesy had become a private joke between the two of us.

"Do you know your are addressing a senior officer." Rodney snapped at me. It was all by the book, and I'm better then all of you with this guy.

"Ya I do." I replied with a hint of venom in my voice. It seemed to strike him odd because he stared at me for a second as if trying to process what I had said.

"Rodney drop it. What's a joke between friends right? Now if you will excuse us, we need to go make sure the defenses are properly coordinated and prepared." Foster said as he pushed Rodney ahead of him and towards the wall. As they had left, I motioned for my squad to follow me as we started back towards the command post. As we walked into the office building that was serving as the command post I heard some familiar voices coming from the inside.

"Yes I do believe we can manage that. We will have the ship on station when you need it. If that is all I need to oversee the landing and movement of the rest of the troops."

"When can we be expecting those troops?" It was at that time when we got to the CIC, the command information center or command center for short, and walked inside. Who was inside I was not expecting. It was Mandy and General Sang.

"A good majority are on the ground and boarding boats to make it to your position as we speak, the rest are still filing off the ships." It was at that time that they both saw us, and Mandy beat the general to the punch.

"Well hello Gunnery Sergeant Price and Carnage Squad. I hope you are all ok and ready for action?"

"We are all fine, thanks for asking Mandy. So what's this about reinforcements?"

"Well, as you know you were dropped into Prestwick to help hold off the covenant long enough for proper defenses to be set up here. The 829th was dropped here to bolster those defenses until the rest of the troops from the ships can be landed and deployed."

"So there are reinforcements on the way?" I asked Mandy, completely forgetting that the general was in the room till he responded.

"Yes gunnery sergeant, the rest of the marine compliments from onboard the Grafton, Constitution, Pioneer, and the Hannibal have been landed and are making their way up river in ferrys and other watercraft so they can reinforce us. The reason behind that is the fact that the ships are too large and the covenant are too close for them to be landed anywhere near the town." General Sang said.

"So how long before they arrive?" I asked both of them.

"The first wave of ferries will arrive here in about an hour." Mandy replied.

"So how many men and machines will that be again?" Sang asked the AI. It took her a moment to respond as she had to calculate the exact amount of troops on the ferries.

"There are exactly 24,000 men, 120 M808B 'scorpion' main battle tanks, and 48 M12 'warthog' light reconnaissance vehicles on 12 ferrys."

"Thanks Mandy." We both said at the same time.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to return to the Midsummer Night and calculate that firing solution, as well as oversee the landing." And with that her green avatar disappeared from the holo-table that was in the command post.

"What firing solution is she talking about sir?" I asked the general.

"Well the covenant are driving straight for us and will arrive in 30 minutes. Those two scarabs will tear through us so I asked if a firing solution was possible for of the MAC guns from your ship as it is the smallest. She replied that if they were in a line it would be possible so that is what she has gone to do."

"Well if they are that close then I better get out to the front line and get ready for the impending onslaught. Keep me informed on the status of those reinforcements and that MAC run if it ever happens. I don't want to be caught out in the open, if you understand what I'm trying to say."

"Ok Price, you can go. I will let you know when that gun run is happening and when the reinforcements arrive." As he said that I turned and walked out the door of the command post and towards the trenches out in front of the wall with my squad close behind me.

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30 Minutes later

The covenant had just appeared over the ridge that was about a mile away from our front lines. We had set up an even more impressive defensive line then at FOB Invincible. The covenant stopped at the top of the ridge for a minute before they charged straight down the hill and towards our lines.

"Gentlemen, prepare to defend yourself!" I shouted out to the me around.

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**Hey everybody, who gets the movie reference at the end? Hope this is a good half way mark between the two action arcs.**

**I have some review response and thank for this chapter, yay!**

**First off, thanks ThehiddenbladeoftheODST's for favoriting and following! Love the name by the way.**

**William (Guest): dude, thanks for putting up a review to almost every chapter. It really means a lot. Thanks for the AI suggestion, so far you have been the only person to give me one. I like your idea for a recollection of everybody's past, get yourself an account and then we can PM about it. I would love to hear your ideas.**

**Supreme Commander: thanks, I really like this story as well. Lol.**

**So now onto some bad news. I am going on a camping trip and am going to be away from the iPad I use to write with. Plus there is little to no cell coverage to I won't be able to see if you guys have reviewed or any of that stuff, and I can't read the stories I have followed. It also means I can't start Ch. 13 till I get back on Saturday. **

**Garcia: see, I told you putting more of me in would improve the story!**

***pulls out M6 and points it at the door***

**Me: Get out of here Garcia, or I will put a round through that thick skull of yours!**

**Sorry about that guys, that dude is such a dick. Till next time!**

**Semper Fi,**

**Thearizona**


	13. Reinforcements

**Hey guys! Here is chapter 13, hope you enjoy it.**

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Ch. 13: Reinforcements

March 21, 2550

Queensferry, Spiron

Gunnery Sergeant Jack Price

It had been twenty minutes since the covenant had started their attack and they showed no signs of stopping or slowing down. Wolf had set up in one of the many watch towers that sprang up from inside the ferry complex. He is responsible for the death of a majority of the covenant officers before they could even lead their troops against us so they came in uncoordinated which allowed us to completely them. That is one of the main reasons we are still holding on. That, and the multiple AIE-486H heavy machine guns that had been mounted on top of the wall really helped keep the covenant away from our lines.

"_KA-BOOM"_

Oh, and who could forget the three scorpions that were still in operating condition after everything that had happened. Frankly, I am surprised that the covenant hadn't used any wraiths yet to try and take them out.

\Jack, the two scarabs are aligned and the Midsummer Night is about to take the shot\

/Thanks for the heads up Mandy/

"Ok everybody, listen up!" I yelled to everybody around me. "The Midsummer Night is coming in for a MAC run on those two scarabs."

"A MAC round, in atmosphere!?" Somebody shouted out.

"Yes, now hold onto your butts!" I replied and everybody slightly crouched even further down into their trench.

"_VVVMMM-BOOM"_

And with that noise also came the relief of know that we wouldn't have to face anymore scarabs. It was also at that time, during a sudden lull in the fighting due to the MAC blast, a grunt with the fuel rod cannon took the shot on one of our scorpions. The driver saw the green blobs of death heading for him and managed to jump out of the tank before it was blown to smithereens. Somebody dashed from the trench, grabbed him, and pulled him down into cover before he could be shot. The loss of one of our scorpions must have heightened the covvies resolve as they pushed forward with even greater ferocity than before.

"I'm running low on ammo over here!" Somebody called out. The calls for ammo were starting to grow more numerous as the minutes went by.

I glanced over to see the marine receive two magazines for his MA5B from the marines around him.

"Count your rounds!" I yelled out to everybody for the third time. "We still have about 5 minutes until those reinforcements get here."

"WRAITH!" I heard somebody cry out. As soon as it appeared it fired, but that was all the time it had to do before it was taken out by the combined firepower from the remaining scorpions.

"Look out, look out!" I shouted out as I watched the one shot that the wraith got off head straight for the scorpion behind the trench I was in. This time the driver didn't see it coming and when the blue blob hit, it completely melted the tank and instantly incinerated the driver.

_"At least it was a relatively quick and painless death" _I thought as I turned my attention away from the man's metal coffin and towards the covenant that were still assaulting our position.

"We are starting to get overwhelmed Jack, when are we going to fall back to inside the base?" Dmitri asked me.

_"What's he talking about?" _I thought before I took a look around i finally noticed just how hard we had been hit by the multiple covenant attacks. The amount of troops we had started with was somewhere around 125 men. I looked around the two trenches and noticed we probable only had about 50 men left defending against such a large covenant attack. The machine guns on the wall, Wolfs snipping, and the three scorpions were what had been keeping us alive. Though with two of the three scorpions destroyed and the covenant starting to destroy the machine guns on the wall, they started getting closer to our lines.

"The next chance we get." I replied, mentally slapping myself for not being observant about how hard we were being hit yet again.

"It happened again didn't it Jack?"

"Yes Dmitri it did." I replied somberly. "Now let's get these men inside, I don't want a repeat performance."

"You heard the man, everyone get inside the complex and to the secondary positions!" Dmitri yelled out as the gate started to open to allow us to enter. I guess we caught the covenant unprepared for it as they had just finished another wave. They tried to attack and get as many of us as they could before we made into cover inside. They managed to get a few of the marines but the machine guns, Wolf, and that final scorpion held them off long enough for everybody, including the scorpion, to get inside, the living and the dead.

"Those gates are going to hold them off until the reinforcements get here, right?" I heard a scared marine ask.

"They should." Another marine replied back. As we kept walking back from the gate to the secondary set of trenches, which are shaped like a horse shoe crossed with the letter V, I heard more little bits of conversations the marines held.

"Why was there only one wraith? There is never just one wraith. And no ghosts or banshees?"

"I don't know. My best guess is that they are at the end of their supply line and they just need a refuel."

"They just just kept coming and coming, we kept firing and they kept dieing..."

"Cameron, get a hold of yourself. You lived to fight another day.

"More like lived to Die another day."

I also noticed that since we had entered the complex the sounds of battle had stopped. The machine guns weren't firing, and neither was wolf. A quick glance told me everything. The guns or the gunners on the wall had been taken out and nobody wanted to replace the dead gunners now that we were inside. Wolf was still in his tower, but he was waiting to get a shot on the covenants commanding officer for the attack. As it turned out it didn't take long. I was watching the feed from his scope and saw an ultra come waltzing over the ridge as if he owned the place. Once it got far enough over that he couldn't just jump back and out of the way.

_"KA-BOOM..KA-BOOM"_

Those two shots came in such a rapid fire that it almost sounded like it was one shot. The first round took out the ultra's shield and knocked him back about a foot due to the shear force from the impact. The second round went clean through its head and nothing that even resembled a skull was left on the body of the ultra. When that happened it must have really upset the covenant because they all came rushing the gate. Though they must have seen where Wolf was firing from and decided to get rid of him as the next thing I saw through my feed was a fuel rod heading straight for the tower and then blur as he got out of the tower right before it blew up.

"Wolf! You ok?" I shouted as I rushed over to held him up and out of the debris from the tower.

"Ya I'm fine."

"Good to hear. Nice job taking out that ultra, should make it easier to take them on now that their commander is dead."

_"THUD"_

"What was that?" The marine from earlier asked.

_"THUD"_

"They are trying to break down the door..."

_"THUD"_

"...but I don't think they will, it's too thick." His buddy responded.

_"THUD"_

"Everyone get to you positions!" I shouted to get everybody focused back up. This was new behavior for them but I guess cause we had just killed the ultra on charge so they are not thinking straight.

"Did they just stop?" The marine asked again. He was right, the covenant had stopped ramming the door. At that time I heard a what sounded like a fusion coil right before it blows up.

_"Their trying to blow down the door!" _I thought before I shouted out, "Get ready! They're going to blow the gate down!"

"_VVVMMM-KA-BOOM"_

And with that the gate was blown off its hinges and onto the ground.

"OPEN FIRE!" I heard Colonel Foster shout out to everybody, and open fire we did. The shear volume of fire that came from our lines stopped the covenant at the door, but it wasn't enough. People started to run out of ammo for their main weapons so they had to switch to their secondary weapons which decreased the amount of rounds in the air. That allowed the covenant to start making gains through the gateway. Despite the accurate fire being put down by me and my team they still made it through.

"They are starting to fall back!" Somebody shouted.

"Watch out for another attack!" I replied to who ever had said that, and right at that time they did attack. They came in with such a force, and we had so little ammo left, that they most certainly would break through our lines.

"You all wanted to be a hero, well here's your chance!" I shouted out to try and inspire the men. As the covenant came at us I noticed that the ground was starting to rumble and mentally got ready to die, after I took as many of them with me as I could, then started to focus down any elite I saw. Somebody had some grenades left and chucked them into the wave of covenant. As the covenant were so tightly pack, when those grenades went off it sent blood and body parts flying all over the place. The scorpion had been taken out during the first assault so those grenades were all the explosives we had.

Marines all over started to cry out as they got hit with plasma or ran out of ammo. Those that ran out of ammo gave a solemn I'm not in a shake to the guys next to them and then charged the covenant, knife in hand. Some made it, other didn't. I had finally run through all my ammo for my BR and had to switch to my M7; most of my Squad had switched to their secondary's as well. The covenant were so close that it didn't matter I was using a M7. I had just finished of an elite who charged me when another elite, this time wielding an energy sword, charged at me. I lined him up and pulled the trigger.

_"CLICK"_

The sound of the gun clicking empty soaked into my mind.

_"Out of ammo? How did I run out so fast?" _Ran through my head as the elite got closer and closer. I knew there would not be time to reload at the speed he was going and so I dropped my M7, pulled out the ka-bar knife my dad had given me before I was shipped to basic, and prepared to take the elite out with me. The elite lunged, looking to slice me in half, and I started to jump back but I hit the wall of the trench I forgot it was in. I swear I saw a devilish grin come from that elite as he relished he had me cornered. I watched as the blade started to swing down as if I was just a passenger in my body, watching but not able to react.

_"KA-BOOM"_

The elite just exploded! I didn't remember anybody have rockets or grenades so seeing the elite explode and cover me in miscellaneous body parts and it's purple blood. Then I heard more explosions and I decided to get to see what was going on. It was the reinforcements! They had finally arrive and the amount of men and machines crushed the covenant and sent them running back through the gate with their proverbial tails between their legs. I counted only about 20 or so left from what must have been an attack force of about 8,000.

"There might be hope left yet." I said as I watched the covenant flee before looked over at Dmitri who had some how found me after the covenant had been dealt.

"Maby, just maby."

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**Oh gosh. Here is chapter 13 everybody! I so could have left you with a cliffhanger ending but decided not to because I hadn't planned to, and I'm not that mean.**

**First off, thanks loyal ODST for the review, favorite and follow. Though if you have been reading this story or the reviews you know him better as William.**

**Also thanks Supreme Commander for the wonderful review!**

**So I'm trying something new. I'm going to respond to reviews using the PM system so there is an instant response; unless you're a guest, then I have to, not that I'm complaining. Though favoriting, and following, will still be recognized here. So I'm going to stop rambling and just say that the next chapter will take some time cause I'm doing character development...I've said too much already. Well enjoy whatever it is you are doing in what ever country you are in!**

**Semper Fi,**

**Thearizona**

**P.S. I'm still open to AI suggestions if anybody wants to send me one. So far I only have one submission. :(**


	14. History

**Welcome to chapter 14 folks. Due to the amount of action chapters this will be a slowdown and some; well I'm going to let you find that out on your own. Happy reading!**

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Ch. 14: History

March 22, 2550

Queensferry, Spiron

Gunnery Sergeant Jack Price

*Midday*

It had been a day since we had driven off the covenant attack on the ferry complex and since then we had only strengthen our position in preparation for a counter attack. Air recon has shown that the covenant had retreated back all the way to Prestwick and were in no way to preparing for an attack. Even though me and Dmitri had read everybody's files I wanted to hear it from them as that would only strengthen the team bond so I managed to pull the night shift for lookout duty.

"Dmitri, I got us the night shift tonight. Go tell the men that we are going to meet at the top of the wall, on the west side of the gate."

"Roger that."

* * *

*That Night*

I had gotten up to the top of the wall a bit early as I wanted to set some things up. I grabbed a few chairs and a lantern and set them up in semi-circle facing out away from the complex so we could still watch the perimeter as we talk to each other. Dmitri arrived a few minutes after me, the rest of the squad in tow behind him.

"What's this?" Connors asked upon seeing the chairs and lantern.

"This is the closest thing I could get to a campfire without the actual fire. Now sit down everybody." I replied.

"Why are we sitting here?" Connors asked again. Man, he just loves to run his mouth.

"We are here to talk. As this is just the first true chance for us to sit and talk without the threat of an interruption by the covenant..."

"Talk? Talk about what?" Connors interrupted me.

"John, you do that again and I will make you lead for the remainder of this campaign." I threatened. "As I was saying, this is a good team bonding exercise now that we have all fought with each other for some time. It's time to share your history, so we all know what makes you tick."

"But sir, didn't you read our personal files? It should have all the info on it." McFee spoke up.

"Yes Craig I did read it, and so did Dmitri, but you file only shares so much and I want to hear it from you. Plus it is good opportunity to get closer as a unit. Dmitri will go first as an example so you guys know what to say, and I will finish it out. I don't care what order it is in." I said, and then I sat back in my chair so Dmitri could tell his story.

"Well I was born in January 2512, which makes me 38 years old, in some remote village in the Siberia region of Russia. Nothing special or different happened in my childhood. My dad had me help him do manual labor around the house, which is where I gained a lot of my muscle mass. When I graduating from high school I found a calling to weightlifting as it reminded me of home due to the high school being some distance away from the village. I was actually the first of my family to go to high school in a few generations. I quickly grew to be the #1 weightlifter in the whole of Russia. After a few years of that I decided to enlist into the corps. I went through basic and when the ODST's came around to see if anybody wanted to sign up, I did. That's actually how I met Jack, in ODST boot camp. Once we graduated we were put in the same squad; the original carnage squad." Dmitri paused; I saw the look in his eye that he was thinking about them. "Then well, it's not my place to tell you what happened to them. So, who's next?"

"I'll go next." Stein said. As he said that I looked over at Dmitri and mouthed thanks. He knew that I didn't like talking about it, or hearing somebody talk about it. I know it shock him up bad as well. We had been a team for a good 20 years with only having one or two replacements.

"Well I was born in June of 2523 in Cologne, Germany so I'm 26. My dad is a prestigious surgeon so I spent my childhood engrossed with doctor and other medical related things. I had an apprenticeship under my father, but when I was 19 I got drafted into the corps due to a shortage of medical corpsman at the time. I worked my ass off through boot camp. Once during a live fire drill some of the marines got injured. I rushed over and managed to save the few who wouldn't have made it if I hadn't been there. Apparently that proved something to the higher ups cause after I became a combat corpsmen I was offered a position as a combat corpsmen for an ODST unit, but before I was officially assigned to them they died. Since that happened I was left on the duty roster until an opening came up. It was carnage and because I still hadn't been on a team I practically jumped at the chance and got the spot. That's my backstory." Sinclair said as he then turned to John who was sitting next to him as if he expected him to go next.

"Well I guess I'm going next." John stated before starting. "I was born in May on 2524 so I'm 25. I was born and raised in New Alexandria Reach and being such my parents are highly enthusiastic about the military, my dad was in the corps before he lost limb fighting the insurrectionist and got discharged. I am the second born of four, but the first son so that put me under the stresses of not only taking partial care of the household after school each day because of my dad's lost limb, but I had to take care of the elderly couple in the apartment across the way as well. When I was 14 a group of insurrectionist lovers caught me on my way home from school and start to insult my dad and my family. Then one of them shoved me and the next thing I remember is being found by the cops standing over six badly wounded kids around my age. After that I was thrown into a juvenile detention center, where I plead innocent to instigating the fight, but none of the correctional officers believed me. It became worse when three of the kids didn't recover and ended up dying, the other Juvenile delinquents began to purposely fight me, but in most cases I won due to the training my dad insisted I get. The fights stop after I injured one of the officers that decided to attack me one day. After that nobody bothered me and when my hearing came around it was suggested that I could perhaps have a shorter sentence if I was to decide to going into military service instead of prison because I had technically killed three kids. I opted for this and was granted. During basic I was the best hand to hand fighter in the camp and my shooting was half bad either but I decided to stick with a shotgun. When my mandatory eight years of service time was up I requested to join the ODST's because I had grown to like the military life and nobody would look at me like a murderer here. After ODST boot camp I was sent here to join you guys." He finish as he gestured over to Dmitri and I.

"George, how about you go next?" I said to the silent sniper.

"Yes sir." Was his reply before he started.

"I was born in September of 2528, making me the youngest at 21. I was born in Pirth City on Arcadia to an Insurrection supporting family. I was the last of five siblings to be born but I had a love of the UNSC instead of the insurrection because of her weapons, and because of my alternative view from the established family views I was beaten up by my older siblings on a regular basis. Every word I would say seemed to give them new reasons to attack me so that's when and why I grew quiet, but at the same time my will power grew stronger than normal. I was evacuated out with my family during the covenant invasion in 2531 and ended up in Esztergom on Reach where I grew up. The beatings continue though I managed to find splice at the local military base where the marines would let me field strip and clean their weapons whenever I was there. Once my family learned the beatings got worse and it became harder to get out. During one of my few nights out I somehow managed to get into on base armory and steal a M6C/SOCOM. The next time my siblings attacked me I shot at them to defend myself. I hit three of them, two of those turned out to be lethal shots but I didn't care because as soon as it happened I ran from the scene. I was found in a ditch by the same marines who I had gained a friendship with by cleaning their guns. They had discovered it missing and followed the gun's tag. They asked me to return the gun, which I replied 'I need it, to protect myself'. I had told them what my family was doing to me as I cleaned their weapons so they weren't mad at me when I basically told them no. After that I was taken into military custody to get me away from my family. At that time I was around 17 so I was placed into placed into a boot camp. As I was there I was commonly berated for not responding to superiors, and I showed no weakness during punishments due to those things being what I had hardened against with my family. I preferred to go off by myself cause I didn't really trust anybody. After that I went straight to the ODST recruiter and requested to sign up and it was granted. After boot I was sent to another squad but my distrust of people got them all killed, like I did during the combat sim on the ship, sorry about that." He finished. I knew he had a tough background but I didn't know the details. I'm glad he found some friends on the marines or else who knows what would have happened.

"Not a problem little buddy." McFee replied. Those two had some type of budding friendship and I am glad to see George bond with somebody after hearing what happened to him.

"Craig, I do believe that you still need to go, then I get to tell you guys my life story." I said.

"Right, well I was born in November of 2525 so I'm 24. I was born and grew up on Europa to a pure blood Scottish family, if you hadn't noticed all ready by my accent. As I was growing up I became known for my skill and apparent talent with explosives and pretty much anything that goes boom. I loved, and still do love, to make things explode, especially to scare people. The look on their faces, it's the same type of look I get from the covenant when I catch them in my explosive traps. Anyways, one day I was caught by a marine I had tried to prank and brought to his commanding officer, and as I was 18 he gave me the proposition to join the explosive unit there on Europa. I readily accepted the offer and started to learn things about explosives I had only dreamed about before, and so I learned my trade to its fullest. Though one day during a bomb defusing drill, an apparent accident led to a chain reaction that killing a majority of the explosives team I was working with. It turned out that somebody has sabotaged it, and the blame was pushed to me as I was most senior of the survivors. We didn't find out that it was intentional until later when my luck finally prevailed and I was released from my probation when the saboteur turned himself in. After that I left home for the ODST's and now I'm here."

Once he finished everybody turned in their seats to look at me now that I was the only person left that hadn't told their story.

"_Well here goes nothing." _I thought before clearing my throat to talk.

"Well I was born in February of 2510 which puts me at the ripe old age of 40. I was born on mars and at the young age of sixteen I was forced into a military boot camp to prove my loyalty to the UNSC or spend life in prison. The reason was I had helped some insurrectionist unknowingly evade capture and escape. During my time there I begun the long road to military service. Before I was shipped away my dad gave me this Ka-Bar as a going away gift so I would always remember the family. After I completed boot camp I was shipped off to good knows where do defend it from the covenant. That's how I started as I slowly crawled my way up the ranks. Then I got a message from the UEG, my family had been killed by the covenant on a trip around the colonies. Right then I decided to become an ODST to get back at the covenant who had killed my family. I meat Dmitri in boot camp and we got assigned to the same squad. We had that same squad for about 20 years until…well I got so focused I didn't noticed everybody starting to take hits; and then, when the wanted to fallback I order them all to stay….Dmitri and I were the only two to make it out. So if you see me do that, call out to me and snap me out of my daze. I don't want the same thing happening to you guys." I finished.

"Sir, might I ask where you lost them?" Craig asked.

"Yes you may. The original carnage squad was killed on Stigma 8. Some backwards outer colony that we could have lost and nobody would have cared." I replied. "It was about a year ago."

* * *

**Well, looks like I kinda left this chapter on a sad note. Sorry about that. Hope this character development didn't come out odd. I was watching "We Were Soldiers" as I wrote this chapter so some of the music and scenes my has influenced how I wrote things. A HUGE shout out to Loyal ODST aka William for helping me with the history's for Carnage squad.**

**So as of July 5th, 2015 the total number of views for BIA is 750 and the total number of visitors is 375. Just so far for the month of July there are 55 views and 28 visitors. So I will randomly do this every few chapter to let you guys know how this story is doing.**

**So another OC request. This time it is just names for the original carnage squad. I might use them, I might not. I really haven't decided yet if I will drop them in the story somewhere. Oh, also I need five Spartans to finish out a Spartan team I need. Name of the Spartan team is still up the air so any suggestions will be appreciated. So it's 11:30 and I'm tired so good night! And happy Fourth of July America! I'm a day late, sue me!**

***Edit* just decided to fix up this chapter as I was looking through it for an upcoming one-shot, which is now posted as "Oh How They Fall".**

**Semper Fi,**

**Thearizona**


	15. Back to Work

**Here is chapter 15. Hope you all enjoy it. The standard disclaimers apply.**

* * *

Ch. 15: Back to Work

March 24, 2550

Queensferry, Spiron

Gunnery Sergeant Jack Price

"So we need to plant the nuke before the rest of the forces can advance so that we don't have that carrier over are heads?" I asked Mandy.

"That's correct Gunnery Sergeant. The nuke, along with its attached Spartan team, have arrived aboard an ONI prowler a few hours ago. They are being redirected to your location as we speak." She replied.

That's the part I didn't like. I had done these missions before, but never with Spartan assistance. If anything have to share the mission with some Spartans is insulting. ODST's are the best of the best, the number one in the UNSC, but when the Spartans were announced we became the number 2 behind them. As most ODST's have a superiority complex hounded into them at boot camp, we generally have a dislike of Spartans. Doesn't mean we won't work with them, it's sort of like the rivalry between the Navy and the Marines in the old US.

"They should be arriving in about 10 minutes. When they arrive you are to meet with their squad leader, Major Heath, and he will fill you in on the rest of the details."

"Oh come on Mandy, why can't you tell me the details now? How top secret could they be? Plant the nuke and run."

"I don't know but it's secretive enough that a Spartan team is being sent to assist."

"Thanks Mandy. You're a real help." I said sarcastically before cutting of the channel and walking outside. As I did I looked around the former ferry complex and sighed. Practically all of the troops from the fleet were here waiting to attack prestwick and drive the covenant back. Though before they can do that, we need to stop a certain CAS assault carrier from resupplying the covenant. I started to walk over to the building that we were using as our barracks. Well, calling it a building is a stretch cause it's just two shipping containers welded long ways together with those sides being cut out beforehand. Crossing from the communications tent to our building was like that old game, what was it? Frogger, it was like a real life version of frogger. Having to avoid warthogs and forklifts. As I was saying, I had almost gotten to our barracks before I heard somebody calling out to me.

"Jack! Hey, wait up for me man!" Dmitri called out over the roaring of all the engines. I stopped and looked in the direction that his voice had come from. He was walking towards me from across the same road I had just crossed.

"That's just crazy to try and cross." Dmitri said once he reached me.

"Ya I know. What do you want?" I replied before resuming my walk towards the barracks.

"You just came out of the com tent so am I right to presume you got our orders?"

"You presumed right."

"Well what are they?"

"We are to plant a Fury nuke inside the assault carrier so we don't have to worry about it interrupting our attack before it starts and so that the covenant won't have any supply's coming in."

"Wait, did you just say inside?"

"Yes, we are also going to working with a Spartan team on this mission."

"Wow. A Spartan team really? Do they think us that incompetent we can't plant a nuke inside and assault carrier?"

"I don't know Dmitri, I just told you everything Mandy told me. They arrive in about 10 minutes so I would like to tell everybody else then head to the landing pad to greet them." I said right as we walked into the barracks. Everybody was there, either cleaning their weapons or trying to get some sleep.

"Who are you greeting?" Connors said as he finished putting his M90 back together.

"I will get to that, first we need to wake up Anders." I replied as Anders was the only one sleeping.

"And how are we going to do that?" McFee asked as he sat his MA5C to the side.

"Watch and learn. Dmitri, if you please?" I said as i gestured to the sleeping man.

"The easy or the hard way?"

"Try the easy way, then the hard way of it doesn't work."

"Right." Was his response as he started to walk over towards the sleeping form of our sniper. Connors and McFee watched him as he pulled out his M6 magnum and cock it right next to Anders ear, and he only reacted as if he had been buzzed by a fly.

"Well that was the easy way. What's the hard way?" McFee asked.

"This" Dmitri said before pulling the trigger.

_"BANG"_

"What the heck!" Anders shouted as he flailed about and ended up squirming on the floor. "Why would you do that?"

"That's the hard way we wake people up. Now everybody listen up, we got new orders." I said to the team, "in about ten minutes a fury tactical nuke will arrive and we are suppose to plant it inside the assault carrier that is hovering over the planet."

"Wait, wait, wait...inside? How are we going to plant the nuke on the _inside _the carrier?" Connors asked.

"I'm just happy I finally get to play with a nuke." McFee said excitedly.

"Well I'm not sure if you get to play with the nuke, and the way we are going to get the nuke inside the carrier have the same thing in common." I replied to both of them.

"And that is?" Connors asked.

"Spartan team Zeus."

"A Spartan team! You have got to be kidding me. Since when do we need help from those superfreaks?" Connors asked, sounding slightly angered.

"Since helping us deliver the nuke is only part of their mission, that's when." Dmitri nearly yelled at the guy. Even though he is an ODST he still respects all the branches, even the Spartans.

"Let's all settle down ok. They are arriving here in five minutes. So when they do I don't want any of that, so lock it down."

"Yes sir." Connors replied.

"Now let's go meet them. They should be arriving at the same time we will." I told the squad before walking out the barracks and towards the landing pad. We walked there in silence as nobody wanted to say what they most certainly were thinking about sharing the mission with a Spartan team. Once we arrived at the landing pad I saw a pelican land and so I walked over and waited for it to come to a rear and the rear hatch to open.

As the hatch opened I stood there looking at the five Spartans that were to help us on our mission.

"Gunnery Sergeant Price?" On the Spartans said.

"That's me." I replied.

"Greetings gunny, I'm Major Heath-118 and this is Zeus squad." He said as he held out his hand.

"Major, might I introduce Carnage Squad." I replied before shaking his hand.

"Is there a place we could talk that is more private?" He asked.

"Of course major." I said before turning to Dmitri, "Take the men back to barracks or the firing range. It's up to you."

"Actually gunny, this is about our mission so it would be best for everybody to be there."

"Right, well I guess everybody follow me." I replied before turning around and heading for the building that was being used as the command post. We got there without incident, considering we had five Spartans following us. Once we walked into one of the conference rooms not being used I shut and locked the door so we wouldn't be disturbed. When I did I heard a small hiss and when I turned around all five Spartans had their helmets on their hands and at their side.

"Gunny, as I said before I'm Major Heath-118, that's Petty Officer Carlos-116, Lieutenant Jason-120, Petty Officer Rebekah-099, and Warrant Officer Church-130."

"Good to meet you all, I'm Gunnery Sergeant Jack Price, that's Staff Sergeant Dmitri Vasilyev, Sergeant John Connors, Corporal George Anders, Corporal Sinclair Stein, and Lance Corporal Craig McFee." I replied to the major.

"Well now that we know each other, how about we get down to business?" Heath said.

"Ok"

"As you have already been told, you are going to be planting this inside the carrier." He said as he held up the fury. "You will be accomplishing this task by putting it inside the grav lift that is ferrying troops and supplies to and from the surface. Though the timing of when to arm and plant it in the loft depends on our mission."

"What is your mission, besides helping us, if you don't mind me asking?" I asked.

"Actually you're going to be helping us. Our mission is to infiltrate their command post and steal as much intel from them as we can. You're supposed to be our distraction so we can get into their CP."

"So we are just a distraction!" Connors blurted out.

"Shut up Connors." Dmitri said as he slapped the man on the back of the head.

"You will only need to draw their attention so we can slip in and out. It should only take a few minutes for us to hack in and steal everything. Once we are out you will set the nuke to a one minute timer before tossing it in the grav lift before disengaging."

"Ok, is the method of distraction up to us?" I asked.

"Yup. The latest recon we could get of the area shows they have their base setup with the CP near the middle of the camp, here. The grav lift is on the other side of the base, here." Heath said as he pointed them out on a holo map of the area.

"Ok, I will come up with an idea. When do we leave for the mission?" I asked.

"We will wait for dark, so about three hours. Meet up here and we will go over the final details before leaving."

"Yes sir." I replied to the major before turning around. "Ok guys, back to the barracks. Let's come up with a plan."

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**Well here is chapter 15. I would like to send a huge shout out to Supreme Commander for letting me use his Spartans. Also thanks for asking me almost every day how it was going. So I'm actually the new beta his story "The Second Human-Covenant War" and that is taking up some time. Now I'm not going to stop writing this, it just might take a bit longer then...how many times have I said this? Well this time it is true. It should take a bit longer. Well have a good (insert time of day)!**

**Semper Fi,**

**Thearizona**


	16. The planning and the execution

**Oh gosh, 16 chapters...enjoy! And remember my disclaimers or I shall send you a nice little doomsday gift. ***_**evil cackle* **_**where did that come from? Anyways, chapter 16!**

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Ch. 16: The planning and the execution

March 24, 2550

Queensferry, Spiron

Gunnery Sergeant Jack Price

"McFee, how much C12 do you carry?" I asked our resident explosives expert.

"Three pounds in three packs, why?"

"How much could you carry?"

"Hypothetically I could carry as many as you needed me too, why?" He asked apprehensively.

"That's going to be how we take care of all those vehicles and turrets." I replied as I sweated my hand across the map.

"That's going to be a lot of C12 gunny."

"My guess is we will need twelve pounds."

"How do you figure that?" Dmitri asked, joining our conversation.

"Half a pound for the triple-A guns, and a quarter of a pound for all the vehicles. You think that's enough C12?" I said.

"That should be enough to do what we want it too, as long as we shape it correctly." McFee replied.

"Ok. You will take half of it and I will take the other half. Now that we have that out of the way, how about we go tell those Spartans our plan?" I said to everybody, turning off the holoprojector and walking back to where the Spartans had set themselves up.

"Ok heath, we have a plan." I said as we entered the building.

"Ok, tell us what it is." He replied.

"Right," I started as I brought up the aerial recon of the base, "the north side of the base is the least defended, it's also the closest to the command post and the vehicle depot, so that's where we are going to infiltrate from."

"So that means we need to go all the way around the assault carrier if we are to catch them by surprise." Church-130 interjected.

"Yup, but if we do it right then they won't suspect we are there until it's too late. So once we land and park the pelican, here," I said, pointing to a spot about 2 klicks away from the camp, "we will make our way to their base and infiltrate them here. Once we are in then you guys will go and do your mission as we plant C12 on the wraiths, ghosts, and the Triple-A. We will hid near the gravity lift until you guys are done. Once you're finished, signal to us and we'll set the timer on the Fury for 20 minutes and send it up into the carrier. Once that's done we rendezvous at the pelican."

"That's a good plan. What's the signal going to be and when do you plan on blowing the C12?" Heath asked.

"The signal will be a double click over the radio, to which we will reply with a single click to let you know we received it. We will detonate the C12 once we are in the pelican and ready to fly out of their. Or if we a discovered while waiting for you guys." I replied.

"Ok, one more question, when do we leave?" I looked down at my watch, it's was 1845.

"It's gets dark around 2030 so let's meet at the landing pad then cause it's a about a two hour flight."

"Ok, see you then." Heath replied before turning off the photo and walking out of the meeting room.

"Well gentlemen, we have two hours before a mission that's going to go late into the night. What do you suggest we do?" I asked carnage as I turned around to face them.

"Get some rest?" Stein asked hopefully. I didn't reply but instead stared at the man as if he had just said he was a covvie sympathizer, causing him to shrink away and everybody else to get nervous looks on their faces.

"Good idea. Everybody go get some rest. I will wake you all in a bit." I said as they all looked relieved before leaving to go to our makeshift barracks. As I started to walk back, Dmitri walked up to me and spoke up.

"Hey jack, are you going soft on these guys? Normally we would be doing PT or going to the range."

"I'm not going soft, but your memory is. Remember our first few night missions? I give them 30 minutes to rest then they get a repeat performance of coming out of cryo sleep." I replied.

"Oh ya, how could I forget that. Those were some good times."

* * *

30 minutes later

"Dmitri, you ready?" I asked my friend.

"Yup, I'm ready." He replied. I looked over to him as he was standing at the back of the barracks with an air horn at the ready. I was standing at the front of the barracks with another air horn. The doors were all closed so it was dark on the inside. In between the two of us were the four members of carnage squad, all laying on their cots asleep.

"Ok, 3, 2, 1."

_"WWWAAAAAA"_

_"_WAKE UP YOU MAGGOTS!" I yelled at them as everybody but Connors flopped onto the floor. He came straight up into a combat stance. That's why he is one of the best in hand to hand combat.

"What the heck was that for?" Connors asked.

"What, waking you guys up?" I replied. At that time everybody else had gotten themselves off the ground and were standing in the middle of the room. Dmitri had worked his way behind me, ready to open the doors.

"Is it time for the mission already gunny?" McFee asked.

"Nope, there is still an hour and 15 minutes till mission time. Dmitri, if you please." With that Dmitri opened the doors, flooding the room with sunlight and causing the four men in front of me to cover their eyes for a moment till their eyes adjusted to the light.

"Why did you wake us up if we still have about an hour till we need to be getting ready?" Connors asked.

"Simple, we are going on little run. Now get your butts out of the barracks and into formation!" I yelled at everybody. That got them moving and soon we were all outside and running the perimeter of the ferry station. The run took us about an hour to complete. Once we got back to the barracks I turned around to the guys, who were a bit winded. Me and Dmitri were out of breath as well, but experience had taught us how make it appear we weren't.

"You guys enjoy the run?" I asked. All I got was a few grunts. "Good, now go get some food and water. We leave for the mission in 15 minutes." When nobody moved I raised my voice, "What are you still doing here? Move!" That got them moving towards the mess hall.

"Shouldn't we go and do that same thing?" Dmitri asked.

"Na," I replied as I reached around the corner of the door, "not when we got these." I said as I pulled out two big gallon sized water bottles and some protein bars I had snagged before leaving the ship.

"Thanks." Dmitri said as I handed him one of the bottles and a bar.

"Thanks not all." I said as I reached back into the barracks. This time I brought our two folding a chairs.

"Damn, Is there anything you don't have?" He asked as I handed him a chair, which he promptly set up and sat in.

"Let me get back to you on that one." I replied as before we both started laughing. After that we sat in silence and watched the sun finally set behind the horizon.

"Looks like the kids are coming back for their gear." Dmitri noted.

"That they are," I replied as I stood up, "let's get this all out away grab our gear."

"Ok" Dmitri grunted as he stood up. Once we got the chairs back in their hiding spot we grabbed our gear and started making our way to the landing pad. On the way there we passed the guys on their way to get their gear.

"Better hurry up ladies, we aren't waiting for you and if me and the staff have to do this all by ourselves then its PT for the next week." I said as we passed. Once we did I looked back and saw them jogging to get their gear instead of walking. I looked over at Dmitri and he was look said 'really'.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing."

"Fine, if that's how you want to be." I responded. We had just reached the landing pad and I looked around and saw the only pelican with a yellow racing stripe going down the middle.

"Hey Garry, you in there?" I yelled out once we got to the back of the pelican.

"Ya I'm in here." The reply came out from the pelican. That was right before the man himself came walking out of the pelican.

"Are you ready for the mission?" I asked him.

"Yup, got old bee here ready." He said patting the side of the pelican. "When should I plan on leaving?"

"Just as soon as everybody gets here." I said as I looked at my watch. It was 2029. "Which should be soon." Just as I said that the Spartans came walking up to us with the rest of carnage following right behind them.

"Speaking of the devil, here is the rest of the mission team. Garry, this is Major Heath, leader of Zeus squad, the Spartan team that is accompanying us."

"Major." Garry said as he held out his hand as he looked up at the Spartan. Heath shook his hand. "Now that everybody is here, let's get going. It's a long flight and I would like to get it done with as soon as possible."

"Right, let's load up." I yelled out to my team, which they then did. Heath just motioned to his team and they followed us up and into the pelican.

"We all good back there?" Garry asked from the cockpit. I looked around the back and saw everybody strapped in their sets, ready to go.

"Ya, we are all good back here. You can go ahead and get going." I yelled up to him.

"Right, now please make sure your seat backs and tray tables are in the upright and locked position and get ready to take off. Here we go!" He said from the cockpit, cause a few of us to stifle a laugh, as we took of from the landing pad and headed off in a north by north-western direction.

* * *

**Heyo! So here is chapter 16 for y'all. Hope you enjoyed it. I actually originally planned for this mission to be one, maybe two, chapters, but it's morphed into and three chapter mini-arc. I actually went through a few different names for this chapter, finally settled on this one and the one I had became the chapter title for Ch. 17.**

**Oh, thank you Zeus501 for favoriting this story! Your profile is awesome. Love the list of murphy's laws. Though I think you forgot one. If something can go wrong, it will. That's what I like to live life by, always preparing for something to go wrong, because something always will.**

**Well I guess I better get back to betaing for Supreme commander. He let me out for a few hours so I could write this and post it. Lol.**

**Semper Fi,**

**Thearizona**


	17. ODST's, Spartan's, and a WMD

**No long pre-story AN today, so on with the story!**

***edit* so I changed the timer to 20 minutes on the fury nuke. Keep that in mind**.

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Ch. 17: ODST's, Spartans; and a WMD

March 24, 2550

Northern Hemisphere, Spiron

Gunnery Sergeant Jack Price

We had been flying for about two hours, skirting around the areas that the covenant had AAA batteries in.

"Lady's and gentlemen; we are approaching the first of our two stops for tonight. So please return to your seats and prepare for landing." Garry yelled back. But as nobody was standing up, so we just sat back into our seats and continued in silence.

"Who's the gentleman and who's the ladies?" Connors yelled up to him, so I slapped him in the back of the head. "What was that for?" he asked as he turned towards me.

"That was a wake up call, get your head of the clouds and get ready for the mission." Dmitri said, beating me to the punch. It was at that time Garry yelled back with an answer.

"You're the lady Connors, everybody else is a gentlemen." Even though we were wearing our helmets, I could tell he had a flustered look in his face.

"Ok everybody, we are on the ground. I will be here waiting for your return." Garry said as I heard the engines turn off and the ramp went down.

"Right, see you when we get back." I yelled up to him.

"Ok everybody, lets move out to the rally point; Then we will split up." Heath said, and with that we were off. It was a long walk from the pelican to the rally point as we had landed about 2 klicks away from the covenant HQ to avoid being spotted, and the area was a thick forest so the growing was slow.. The walk there was rather quiet as everybody was preparing themselves for the upcoming mission. We walked in a vague double-file line with me and heath in the front, this gave me the opportunity to go over the last minute details of the mission.

"So how long do you think you guys will be?" I asked him.

"Jason, how long will it take you to crack their codes and download any intel?" He asked Jason-120.

"Should only take me a few minutes, the covvie systems are all the same and never change so I should be able to use the same code to crack it sir." Jason replied.

"So it should only take you no more than five minutes?" Heath said.

"Depending on how fast the data downloads, could be shorter, could be longer, but I say five minutes is a good estimate sir."

"We should be no longer than five minutes gunnery sergeant. Once we are done we will head to the rally point and wait for you there if you are not done." Heath said to me.

"Oh, we will be done, we are the best! You can count on it!" Connors blurted out from behind us.

"Oh is that true sergeant?" Heath replied.

"You bet your ass it's true!" Connors once again blurted out, "you won't find any better ODST squad out there!"

"Oh, I bet. An ODST squad that is as green as the leafs around when it comes to working together as they have only worked, no matter how well, together for the first time during this campaign." Heath shot back. To this Connors just had a beaten look on his face as he tried to think of a comeback, but he couldn't, which we could all see due to his visor being down. Before I could slow down to whack him upside the head, Dmitri came up from behind him and smacked him. He didn't know it was coming, but he realized what it was for and just stared at the ground as we kept walking.

"Connors, you point for the next six missions, got it?" I told him, dishing out some punishment for talking like that, not only to a spartan, but to a superior officer as Heath was a major.

"Yes sir." Connors replied dejectedly.

"Why are you still walking back there vulture? Get your ass in gear, this mission counts!" I almost yelled at him. But that would have been a bad idea if the covenant had sent any scouts out as we had progressed to within a klick of the base.

"Sir, yes sir." He replied as he broke into a jog so he could get ahead of all of us. The rest of the walk went in silence after that. After a few minutes I noticed we had reached our rally point on the map. Connors was leaning against a tree waiting for us to get there. He saw us arriving and opened his mouth to say something.

"Connors, you say anything that is not important to this mission and I will double the amount of missions you have on point." I threatened him before he had the time to say anything, he wisely shut his mouth.

"Ok everybody, here's the rally point. From here will will split up to our separate missions and where we will meet up again afterwards. Now if anything goes wrong the rally point changes to the pelican so nobody is stuck sitting here against the garrison of that camp." I said as I pointed to the covenant base that was clearly visible behind me. "Now this is going to be a radio silence mission due to us being in the covenant HQ. Though if the gig is up then I want somebody to transmit this phrase, Olly Olly oxen free. Olly Olly oxen free is the phrase for if we are discovered. Any last minute questions before we split up?" Nobody raised their hands or spoke up. "Ok, let's split up, good luck Spartans."

"Good luck gunnery sergeant. before we part ways, here is a little something for you,." Heath said back to me as he handed me the fury nuke before he and his team disappeared.

"Ok, visors up" I said as I attached it to my belt in the small of my back, before I motioned for my team to follow me. By using the aerial recon I noticed there was a gap in the defenses on the north side, that why we went all the way up here. I also made sure everybody had a M6C/SOCOM so we all had a silenced weapon. I had drawn my M6C/SOCOM and everybody else did the same. Once we reached the edge of the woods I saw the small no-man's land the we had come out right in the gap in their defense. The two plasma turrets were too far apart if we ran straight up the middle, which we did. There was some of that oddly shaped cover the covvies love so much that we hid behind as we watched an elite patrol the inside of the camp. Once he was out of line of sight I crouch ran to the vehicle depot and took cover behind a wraith. I then motioned for the next guy to run across. It was Dmitri, as soon as he made it I checked and didn't see the elite so I motioned for another man, and McFee ran across. I peaked out from behind the wraith and saw the elite coming around the corner so I motioned for Connors and Anders to stay hidden.

I watched the elite walk past us, then walk past them on his rounds. As he passed by them, something made a noise that he heard. The elite stopped, turned around and started walked back to check what the noise.

"Are we seriously going to get caught right now?" I thought to myself as I watched the elite turn the corner of their hiding place behind the cover. Right as it turned the corner I saw Connors reach up and slit its throat before lower the dead body to the ground. Once they had hidden the body they both ran across the gap. Once they got here I gave them a look that said I wanted to talk to them, later. Now that they were here I motioned to McFee and he brought out the C12. As we had gone over before, we each put a fourth of a pound of the putty like explosive on each vehicle. In the exhaust vent of the wraiths and as far into the ghosts as possible. There were a few elites and grunts patrolling around the depot, though with the element of surprise on our side we took them all out by sliding their throats or breaking their necks. Once got all the C12 planted we meet up at entrance to the vehicle depot, Machine handed me one of the two detonators. We had two so we could trigger the vehicle and the AAA at different times if need be.

We also split up into two groups consisting of Dmitri, vulture and myself in one group; Machine, Wolf, and Doc made up the other group. With the groups we also split up the remaining C12 pack so we could plant the rest of it quicker. The AAA guns where in the typical covenant fashion of having three legs. So to take them down we simply spread half a pound of C12 on the 'knee' joint on one of the legs so when it blew up the gun would topple onto its side. This task wasn't made any easier by the covenant on patrol around the base. We had to constantly duck into the shadows to avoid being seen. Once we reached the end of our supply of C12 we ducked into the shadows provided by the gravity lift platform and waited for the rest of carnage to meet up.

They found us soon after and joined us in the shadows. Though before we could plant the nuke and leave we had to wait for the signal that the Spartans were done and leaving. After waiting a listening for a few seconds I heard the double click over the radio, the signal, and I clicked back once in response to it. I grabbed the fury from my back and set the timer for five minutes but didn't activate it, I would don't that until I set it down on the grav lift. I waited for an elite to turn the corner before I reached up and pulled myself up and onto the pad, and face to face with an elite. The chance encounter surprised me as much as it did the elite, but I was quicker on the draw. I punched it in the throat so it couldn't raise the alarm before I took my Ka-Bar and planted it through the elites eye, killing him. I set the nuke in the grave lift, activating it and watched it going flying up into the assault carrier. I then made my way back to the dead elite, pulled my knife on of its skull and then I lowered the body down to my Squad so that nobody would see it and raise the alarm.

As soon as the body was on the ground I lowered myself down the side and motioned for everybody to follow me out. We snuck back the same way we came, through the vehicle depot and put the gap in their defenses. We made our way back to the rally point without a problem, Heath and his Spartans were there waiting for us.

"I see everything went ok." Heath said as we approached him.

"Yup, everything went just swimmingly. All the explosives are planted, now if you don't mind, I would like to get going back to the pelican. We can walk and talk." I replied.

"Of course." Was his response as we started to get going back in the direction of the pelican. After walking in silence for a few minutes I spoke up.

"So how did you guys do?" I asked Heath.

"Just fine. We managed to pull a lot of Intel about their operations here but that's about it. Planting all that C12 and the nuke went just fine huh?" Was his reply.

"It went good, Connors and Anders almost got discovered at the start, then I almost tripped the alarm when I stood up in front of an elite on the grav lift. Both times we killed the elite before they could alert anybody."

"Good" and with that we kept walking in silence. After a while we reached the pelican. Garry was sitting, no, laying down asleep in his pelican.

"Garry!" I raised my voice at him, almost a yell, but as we where still close to the enemy HQ and at night the woods echo pretty well, I didn't yell at him.

"Wha, what?" He grumbled as he sat up.

"We are back, it's time to leave."

"You could have waited a few more minutes couldn't you?" He asked as he got up and walked to the cockpit.

"No, cause as soon as we are in the air the faster we can detonate the large amount of C12 we planted and the faster we get out from under that damned assault carrier before that nuke blows in three minutes."

"Right." Was his response as he started the pelican and brought it into the air with the open rear hatch facing the covenant HQ. I brought up my detonated, McFee brought up his and to my surprise Heath had his own detonator.

"Ok, on the count of three. Three, two, one."

'click…KA-BOOM!'

And like that the command center, vehicle depot, and all the AAA guns went up in a fiery explosion.

"Holy Shit! That's what I call an explosion!" McFee exclaimed, and we all laughed at what he said as the rear cargo hatch closed and we headed back to Queensferry after a mission gone right, that almost started in disaster thanks to Murphy's law.

"BOOM"

"There goes the nuke." Connors said, "I was expecting a bigger explosion but, as long as that ships is gutted."

"KA-BOOOOOOMMMMM"

"Hang on back there guys, that shock wave is going to toss this thing around like a fly in a strong wind!" Garry yelled back from the cockpit. We all immediately sat down and strapped ourselves into our seats to avoid getting tossed around the pelican. From my seat I had a good view out the small window in the rear door and could see the assault carrier had broken in half and was coming down. And soon enough the shock wave hit us and the pelican started to shake so violently I thought it would break apart. All of a sudden the pelican took a lurch downwards and I heard Garry call out from the cockpit.

"Hold on, we are going in! Come on, pull up you son of a..."

* * *

**Cliffhanger! Hey guys, you guys are so spoiled….and lucky. The biggest reason this chapter is coming out so soon after the last one is because I'm stuck in a car for about an eight hour car ride…so I figured I would beta a little and finish writing chapter 17. I actually almost made this a cliff hanger chapter but decided against it cause that's not me, and it would make this chapter and the following chapter way short. **

**Come to think of it, the cliff hanger I had planned involved jack not being about to kill that elite in time so they are discovered. Who would have want to see that instead? Come on, tell me in the reviews…well I guess this is for william(loyal ODST) and Supreme commander cause those are the only two who review my work…..so a huge shout out to you two guys for the chapterly inspiration and help. To everybody else who is reading this, please leave a review! I want to know what you guys think.**

**thanks WIlliam for pointing out the plot holes and so I have changed it biased on this. One more shout out to Supreme Commander for letting me use Zeus squad. It has been a pleasure working with them and who knows, they might make a reappearance sometime in the future.**

**Semper Fi,  
Thearizona**


	18. Mr Bouncer-verse

**Chapter 18 for y'all, enjoy.**

* * *

Ch. 18: Mr. Bouncer-verse

March 25, 2550

Queensferry, Spiron

Gunnery Sergeant Jack Price

"Hold on, we are going in! Come on, pull up you son of a bitch!" Garry shouted out from the cockpit. The pelican started to level out as we reached the tops of the trees so all of a sudden the sound of the tips of the trees hitting and breaking off when they hit the bottom of the dropship. The banging on the metal sides of the pelican only got louder.

"I don't think this is going to end well!" Stein yelled out in fear as it felt the trees would be the death of us with all the banging and shaking. Then the banging started to subside.

"There we go." I heard Garry say from the cockpit, "looks like we are pulling out of it, we should be good from here on in."

"Great, that was almost a disaster. Wouldn't want to go down all the way back here." I said to everybody, garnering a collective yes or nod of the head. The rest of the flight was pretty quiet except for a random conversation about the fitness of Dmitri and Craig.

"Who do you think would win the Mr. Universe contest? Dmitri or Craig?" Somebody asked.

"I think Dmitri would cause that's what he use to do." I responded.

"Ya but look at Craig, The man is a beast!" Connors said, "not that you're not beast sir." The last part he quickly added in due to Dmitri giving him the death stare.

"Well, Dmitri, Craig, who do you guys think would win?" I asked the two.

Dmitri spoke out first, "You are right, I was a bodybuilder for some time, and I did plan on competing in the Mr. Universe contest, but the war got in the way. Plus it's a young man's game and even though I'm still in shape, I'm not what I use to be."

"You mean you were bigger?" Connors blurted out, earning him a slap on the back of the head from me.

"Ya, but not by much. I have managed to keep a lot of my strength by living in the gym and hauling Sasha around."

"Sasha?" Stein asked.

"That's right, we haven't told them yet." I told Dmitri.

"Told us what?" Craig asked, finally speaking.

"Who Sasha is." I replied, "Dmitri, go ahead and tell um who she is." Everybody looked towards Dmitri expecting a story and a picture of a girl, boy were they wrong.

"This gentlemen, is Sasha." Dmitri told them as he lifted his M247H off the floor of the pelican one handed before setting it in his lap and stroking it like a cat. He always did that ever now and again, I swear he was in a relationship with it. "Oh my gosh, who touched Sasha?" He said under his breath. "Who touched my gun!" He yelled this time, cause everybody to sink back as far as they could into their seats as Dmitri glared at everybody. Dmitri shifted his glare from one person to the next for a few second before I couldn't handle it anymore, I started laughing. Dmitri joined in a moment later no everybody start to chuckle nervously.

"Why are we laughing?" Anders asked hesitantly.

"Because he totally got you all!" I said through the laugh before I finally stopped.

"Got us?"

"Nobody touched my gun, it's just a prank I like to pull on people who don't know it's a prank." Dmitri explained.

"So back to our earlier subject, I think Dmitri would win. The question is what to after that if there wasn't a war on?" I stated.

"Agreed, sorry Craig but he was a bodybuilder and just imagine him when he was doing that all those years ago." Anders said.

"I completely agree." Craig replied.

"You could be a bouncer, and if you had won then you could have be like Mr. Bouncer, or maybe Mr. Bouncer-verse." Connors said, and Dmitri and Craig immediately glared at him. "Please don't kill me."

Everybody started laughing again at what had just happened. Connors really needs to learn to filter what he says or just shut up. It was at that time I remembered the five Spartans that we were sharing the pelican with. I looked over at them, and even though they still had their helmets on I could tell they weren't interested in what was going on, many slightly amused. The rest of the flight home was relatively quiet. As we were coming in for a landing back at the ferry complex turned base, it still didn't have a name, Garry shouted from the cockpit, "We are coming for a landing so please put your seats and tray tables in the upright and locked position, prepare for landing, and thank you for flying air Owen."

Once we landed I walked up to the cockpit, "Thanks for the lift Garry, see you around."

"Right." He called back as I left. As I walked out I noticed everybody standing in line; I soon found out why.

"General." I said as I snapped to a salute.

"At ease gunnery sergeant." General sang told me.

"What brings you out here at this hour sir?" I asked him as it was around 0215. [that's 2:15 am for all you non-24 hour clock folks]

"Just wanted to congratulate everybody on a job well done. With that carrier out of the way we can attack without worry of a strong counter-attack or a large air assault, and the Intel you helped Zeus squad recover will help us plan the attack."

"Thank you sir, just doing our jobs."

"Now, go get some rest, and that's an order. Dismissed." He said before walking off. I turned to my men who were still standing there.

"Well you heard him, get going to bed. It's been a long day." And with that they started to make their way to our barracks. I could tell the adrenaline finally flushing out of their system as they started to hunch over as if there was a great weight on their shoulders. I turned around to face major Heath.

"Well, it's been a pleasure working with you sir." I said as I stuck my hand out for a handshake.

"Same." He replied as he shook my hand, "I hope we have the opportunity to work together in the future, maybe in an actually attack instead of a stealth infiltration."

"Agreed, well I'm tired and it's best I get going."

"Right." The major responded as I started to walk off and towards our barracks. There was something different about that Spartan, I just couldn't tell what. When I got back to the barrack everybody was passed out in their beds except for Dmitri who was leaning against the outside door with two beers in his hand. As I approached he handed one to me.

"To another successful infiltration." He said raising his beer. I raised my toasted with him. It had become a tradition to have a beer after every special mission we got sent on. We used to do it with the whole of the squad, but when they died we did it on our own as a remembrance to their memory. Maybe sometime in the future we would include the new team.

"Well I'm going to turn in." I said once I finished my beer.

"Ok, I'll be in there in a minute." Dmitri replied.

"Don't stay out all night." I said as I walked into the building and pulled my armor off and put on some clothes to sleep in before laying in on my bed and falling asleep.

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**Chapter 18 is done, it's a bit short ya, but that's what happens after a cliffhanger because I don't want to go straight back into action. So school is starting back up in a week so once that starts I will 'hopefully' be scheduling times for me to write for you guys. So how did everybody like the rewrite of chapter 17? Wait, this is chapter 18. Who did you guys like chapter 18? **

**Please leave a review! It helps me know you guys care about this story and such. I don't know how to make it better if you done review. Plus that last 3 ideas from reviews have made it into the story...so if you want to see anything happen, leave it in a review and I will try to make it happen. Seriously, I know there are more than two people reading this story. I don't wait too but I might ask for a certain amount of reviews before posting a new chapter in the future. I'm still thinking about it. Anyways,**

**Semper Fi,**

**Thearizona**


	19. D-Day -1

**Here is chapter 19. Almost to chapter 20 and I'm only about half-way through my plot prewrite.**

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Ch. 19: D-Day -1 day

March 28, 2550

Queensferry, Spiron

Gunnery Sergeant Jack Price

It had been three days since the mission to blow up the assault carrier had gone off and the ship had fallen out of the sky. Three longs days of doing nothing but sitting around the ferry complex and waiting for new orders. I knew there was fighting going on. The wounded and broken machinery all came through here. With nothing to do I had them cleaning their weapons again. That was when another convoy of wounded and broken machinery started to make its way past our barracks.

"Why do you think they are keeping us away from the fight Gunny?" Stein suddenly asked.

"I don't know stein." I replied.

"Well it better be a pretty damn good reason." Connors blurted out.

"Oh it is a good reason Sergeant." A voice said from behind him, surprising the man. But I don't know who was more surprised, Connors or the man he had just tackled and put a knife to his throat. I looked around and saw Dmitri so I knew it wasn't him, so I stood up and walked over to the two men to see who it was, as soon as I got Connors off the man.

"Come on Connors, let the man up." I said as I walked up behind him. Connors removed his knife from the man's throat and grumbled out a sorry as he got up. Once he got up I was able to get a look at who our CQC expert had threatened to slice open, and who it was surprised me.

"Major?" I asked almost dumbfounded at who it was.

"Ya it's me. Want to help me up?" he said sticking his hand out to me. I grabbed it and helped pull him up off his back. I turned around after I helped him to see the surprised looks on everybody's face at having just watched Connors take down a Spartan in such short order, even though it was unexpected.

"Your boy has got a mean combination there. Elbow to the gut, right cross to the face, knife to the throat."

"Thank you sir." Connors replied. It must have shot his confidence way up to have taken down a Spartan.

"I know you're not here to get to get decked by our CQC guy, so why are you here?" I asked him as I turned back around after taking a few steps away.

"I came to get you guys for a briefing on our next mission, which is why we have all been stuck here with nothing to do. Trust me; my men have been just as anxious to get going." That statement got everybody up in a flash and ready to go stand through a briefing, just to get back in the fight.

"Well then, lead on." I replied, gesturing for him to lead us. He turned and started walking towards the command center, which was still in the same building as it was during the battle for the complex, though it had grown to use the whole building. We must have hit the road in between convoys as there was practically nobody driving so we just walked across without looking. We arrived at the command center after a few minutes that seemed like hours; once inside we followed heath to a room in the back of the building. When we arrived there I noticed Colonel Foster and Major Garcia were already there.

"You guys stuck here as well?" I asked the colonel once I noticed him.

"Yup." He replied before Rodney interrupted him.

"I can't wait to get back into action! It will be glorious."

"Oh shut up Rodney." The colonel said.

"Yes Sir." Was the reply.

"Ok, now that everybody is here, we can get down to business." General Sang spoke up. It was at that time I decided to look around the room and who I saw surprised me. There was general sang, the colonel and the major, all of Zeus and Carnage squads, and surprisingly Captain Davis was standing in the room as well.

"As you all know now that the assault carrier has been brought down we can bring our ships up without fear of getting shot down. Now the covenant don't have any incoming reinforcements and supplies they have consolidated a lot of their troops in Prestwick and Deeside. A frontal assault on these city's would work but at the cost of large amounts of casualties. So Mandy has come up with a plan." The General finished, right as Mandy popped up the holo-table.

"Thank you general. Now as the general explained, the covenant have moved almost all their troops into Prestwick and Deeside and turned those city's into fortresses. Now as the covenant are using their remaining banshees in combination with triple-A to shoot down any aircraft we send, giving them air superiority. That is why we can simply bypass the city and land troops on the other side, and we can't march anybody around due to the covenant setting up blocking positions and having their flanks covered in pre-ranged artillery zones." She informed us as she pointed it out on a map of the two cities and there surrounding areas.

"Then how do you plan to take the city without the massive casualties that are being projected from a frontal assault?" Foster asked.

"Simple, the covenant has prepared for a full frontal assault, leaving their rear unprotected with almost nobody protecting them and that's where we attack." Mandy replied

"Then how do you plan to bypass those defenses without having to go completely out of our way?"

"We instead land here," she said as she pointed to a point on the now zoomed out map, "At Forfar. The covenant has not fortified the city as they did Prestwick and Deeside for one reason or another. This opens ups up one of the only cities with a port we can dock the ships in, as well as being the easiest place to stage an attack from that is behind Prestwick."

"Wouldn't they see us coming and send reinforcements from Prestwick or Deeside to wipe us out?" Heath asked this time.

"No, we give them a distraction that will be sure to hold their attention as we land, take the city, and set out to attack their unprotected rear." Mandy responded.

"I'm almost afraid to ask, but what's the distraction going to be?" I asked her, fearing it would involve Carnage in one way or another.

"A full frontal assault by the units stationed just outside of the city." Was her response.

"Wait, isn't that what we are trying to avoid?" The General asked, I guess Mandy hadn't told him the full plan.

"That is what we are avoiding; the frontal assault will be a fake. We will have the units that are on the front start firing and put some pressure on the covenant as if we are going to attack. That should keep the heads down of the covenant units on the front and make them believe we are going to attack." She replied.

"That just means that they will have to keep up that pressure until the units that are landing at Forfar can make it to Prestwick." I spoke up, still expecting Carnage to be at the front of that attack.

"Not true, the front line units will make two attacks. One small bombardment as a distraction during the taking of Forfar, small controlled firefights to keep their attention, and then the actual attack will commence once the flanking force has reached the city and successfully diverted the covenants attention." Was the response.

"The next question is who will be a part of that flanking force?" I asked.

"The force will consist of the Midsummer Night acting as transport for her ground forces. The ground forces will consist of the 429th Combat Infantry Regiment, ODST squad Carnage, and Spartan squad Zeus." Was the response from the AI, and upon hearing that we were part of the group were going I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.

"Thank you Mandy. Now you will all be informed of the remaining details before the invasion, but more importantly now is to get everybody onboard the midsummer night, you have a few hours until we are leaving." Captain Davis said.

"Captain, how are we going to get to the ship?" Foster asked.

"The ship has been moved to the docks to make loading easier and quicker. Now you all should go get loaded up, dismissed." The captain replied before he walked out of the room. The Spartans and general sang walked out of the room after him. I dismissed carnage to go get ready and foster told Major Garcia to get the 429th ready, leaving just the two of us in the room.

"Looks like we are in for another adventure?" Foster asked me.

"Yup, I just hope we can take them by surprise. I don't want to be shot down on the way to the landing zone. We better get going; you have a whole regiment to get ready." I replied to the colonel as I started to walk out the room with him coming out behind me.

* * *

**Well here we go; the start of another mini-arc. If the inspiration for this mini-arc isn't obvious then you will be informed at the end of the arc.**

**So I decided to do this for a few days ago and depending on how it goes I might do it again, most likely I won't. Before I post Chapter 20 I am asking for 5 reviews to this chapter. William (Loyal ODST) and Supreme Commander always leave a review so I'm only asking for three new people to take the jump and leave a review.**

**So the title, if you're wondering, D-Day -1, means the day before the landing date.**

**Semper Fi,**

**Thearizona**


	20. D-Day

**Before we get started, today is September 11****th**** and is the 14****th**** anniversary of the anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, so before we start I want to have a moment of silence in remembrance of the 2,977 victims…Welcome to the next chapter, I'm posting this now because I have had this on my hard drive for about half a week, that and one other reason. Let's start with a rarity shall we? Don't worry; we will get back to normal soon after this intro, don't skip it though, it's important.**

* * *

Ch. 20: D-Day

March 29, 2550

UNSC Midsummer Night; outside Forfar, Spiron

Captain Nick Davis

"The Midsummer Night will stay out here to keep out of range of any antiaircraft guns the covenant may have in the city. This will put the one way trip for the pelicans fifteen minutes." I told the men that had gathered in the ops room.

"That means the first men on the field will be there without support for thirty minutes before support arrives." Said Gunnery Sargent Price, who was the CO of the ships ODST Squad, who was here with his XO, Staff Sargent Vasilyev.

"That's true, but how many pelicans and what, if any, vehicles will be attached to those pelicans?" Asked Colonel Foster, the CO of the ships onboard marine force, the 829th; his XO, Major Garcia was here as well.

"Before we left the ferry terminal we took on an extra ten pelicans, an extra twenty scorpions, and an extra ten warthogs. The waves will be all twenty pelicans at the same time. The first wave will have all the pelicans carrying scorpions."

"Why not send in ten pelicans at fifteen minute intervals?" Garcia asked, interrupting me, and earning a glare from the Colonel.

"Well Major, as I was going to say, the idea is to shock and awe the covenant so that we take the city as fast as possible and so they won't be able to radio for support or a warning to the other cities." I finished.

"That sounds good sir, what do you want me and my Spartans to do?" Came a voice from the other side of the room, it was Major Heath-118, the team leader for the Spartan squad Zeus which had joined us for the invasion.

"Major, you and your Spartans will be riding in the same pelican as Carnage and will take part in the initial landings."

"Yes Sir."

"Now then, I suggest you go inform you men about what is about to happen; the first wave will leave for the beaches in about fifteen minutes. Before the first wave sets of the beaches I will broadcast a speech throughout the ship to motivate and inspire the men. Dismissed." And with that everybody filed out of the room. Price and Foster were talking to each other and Vasilyev was glaring at Garcia who was shriveling under the glare of the big Russian. I didn't notice Heath leave, which is a bit surprising considering he is a 7 foot tall, armored Spartan and there is only one door.

* * *

Gunnery Sargent Jack Price

Ten Minutes Later

"Ok, final check. Does every have everything they will need?" I asked the team.

"Ya, I'm good." Stein replied.

"Has anybody seen my…never mind, found it." McFee said as he walked over and picked up his MA5C. "I'm good here."

"Gunny, could you hand me the SRS mag's you're standing next to?" Anders asked me, so I tossed the five magazines over to him. "Thanks gunny, I'm good."

"Connors, you good?" I asked the man.

"Ya ya, I was just thinking on whether or not I should take extra ammo for the M90 or the MA5." Was his reply.

"I would take a mix of both. When we land you will be using your MA5 but once we get into the city, most likely you should switch to the M90."

"Right, well I'm good."

"You all know I'm always ready." Came the booming voice of Dmitri from somewhere in the back of the ready room.

"Well if that's the case then let's go. It's about time we board our pelican." I said as I turned towards the door and started walking. As always, everybody follow right behind me and we made it to hanger in very little time. When we got there it was packed. The ten extra pelicans really took up a lot of the space so everybody who was waiting to board their pelicans was sitting on the scorpion that was sitting beneath the tail of each pelican.

We made our way to the pelican we were assigned to share with Zeus squad and along the way we passed by a familiar face.

"Jack, Dmitri how have you guys been?" came a voice that stopped us.

"William, is that you?" I asked the voice as I turned around.

"Yup, the one and only." Came the response and when I finally turned around I could see him.

"What are you doing here?" Dmitri asked him, beating me to the punch.

"I'm here as part of the replacements for the 829th. I was a part of the garrison here on Spiron and when I found out you guys were here I asked for a transfer as a replacement. I see you got a new team."

"Yup, William this is John Connors, George Anders, Sinclair Stein, and Craig McFee. Guys, this is William. He is an honorary member of Carnage squad. I have tried to get him to join the ODST's but he always says no."

"As I have told him, it's just not for me. I like it here with the Marines and here is where I will stay."

"Wait, isn't your birthday soon?" Dmitri asked him.

"Actually its today."

"Well happy birthday dude! Let's hope the birthday luck holds out today right?" I said to him.

"Yup."

"First wave personal please report to your assigned pelicans, repeat, First wave personal please report to your assigned pelicans." Mandy said of the ships PA system.

"Well we better get to our pelican. Great to see you again!"

"Ya, good to see you guys too." He replied before turning back to his pelican. We also turned and walked up to our pelican which was in the first row of pelicans. Zeus was already in the pelican and ready to go.

"Major." I said to Heath.

"Gunnery Sargent." Was his reply and with that we got in the pelican as well. Once inside the captains voice came flooding out of the ships PA system.

"Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen of the UNSC Midsummer Night and the 829th Combat Infantry Regiment. You are about to embark on the great crusade, towards which we have worked towards these past few months. The eyes of this world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of Humans everywhere march with you. In company with our brothers in arms on other fronts you will bring about the destruction of the covenant war machine on this planet. Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped, and battle-hardened. He will fight savagely." He paused for a moment to let that sink in.

"But this is the month of March. Much has happened from the Covenant victories during the previous months. The UNSC has inflicted upon the covenant great defeats in open battle. Our air and space offensive has seriously reduced their capacity to wage war. Our fleet has given placed at our disposal overwhelming superiority in weapons of war, and well trained fighting men. The tide has turned. The humans of the world and universe are marching together to victory. I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty, and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full victory. Good luck out there."

Once he finished his speech a cheer rose up from everybody in the hanger. Even the sound of all twenty pelicans starting didn't drown out the sound of everybody cheering. Though once the pelican did start everybody settled down and finished getting aboard the pelicans we took off. Only when I sat down in my seat did I notice whose pelican we were in.

"Garry, is that you up there?" I shouted up to the cockpit.

"Yup! Hope you guys have an enjoyable flight!"

* * *

Twenty Eight Minutes Later

We had been flying towards the beach smoothly.

"Two minutes out gentlemen." Garry said from the cockpit right before the pelican took a sudden, and violent, dive.

"Looks like the covenant have spotted us. We are taking light triple-A fire from the city." He informed us. As the back hatch was open we could see out the rear of the aircraft and see all the plasma bolts and fuel rods flying past us and the other pelicans. The covenant must have bad aim or we had good pilots because the closest I ever saw a pelican come to getting shot down was three plasma bolts hit the front right wing of Fosters pelican. Other than that everything went off without a hitch.

"Thirty seconds, get ready back there." Garry said. I could see the terrain change from ocean to sand as we passed over the beach and landed. As soon as the Scorpion was dropped off the back of the pelican everybody jumped out and as soon as the last person was off Garry immediately lifted off and headed back to the ship. With him gone I had a clear view of why we had stopped receiving covenant fire. The landing zone was at the other side of a hill from the covenant positions. As our pelican didn't have a tanker in it I decided to hop into the driver's seat of the scorpion and Dmitri got into the machine gunners spot. The rest of carnage hopped onto the track covers and rode on the sides. I looked to my left and right and saw the remaining scorpions and anybody not riding on one ready to go up and over that hill to give the covenant the definition of shock and awe.

"Alright everybody, let's go show these covvie what a shock and awe campaign looks like! Tankers, lets plow the road!" I yelled through the radio as we crested the hill. The covenant had set up plasma cannons and shade turrets in, on, and around the buildings that faced the beach. Their defense would have worked against a normal invasion of just troops, but with twenty scorpions thrown into the mix, they didn't stand a chance. As soon as I had a line of fire on a turret I pulled the trigger and that turret, along with the window, was blasted into oblivion. Soon after that, the remaining nineteen tanks fired and the buildings facing us seemed to just disappear under the firepower. With their first line of defense gone so fast I guess the covenant didn't know how to react as after that we only ever seemed to come across unprepared units. It was an absolute slaughter, but we didn't lose a man. There were some minor injuries, but no fatalities.

It took us another two hours to completely clear the city due to some covenant holing up in a building. Once we took care of them the last of the 829th had been landed and we were ready to head out to flank Prestwick. As we headed out for Prestwick I couldn't help but think that this was too easy, even though we had surprised the covenant we hadn't encountered any wraiths; which I'm sure there was some still floating around somewhere, even after the destruction of their headquarters. The rest of carnage was still sitting on the side of my scorpion, and even a few Marines hitched a ride on the tank. Though I put those thoughts out of my head as we had another city to capture and this would be a long march.

* * *

**Hey guys, you finally broke me. Nobody else left a review :(. I only got it from Supreme Commander and Loyal ODST. If the final part seems a bit rushed it's because I have an eye infection so reading isn't the funniest thing to do right now. On another note, CHAPTER 20! It's been twenty chapters of this and thanks for the (albeit little) support and love you guys have shown me.**

**Ok, reference time. There are two, well three...actually now that I think about there are four, references in this chapter. One is pretty easy. One I harder to find. I will give you a moment to think about it…..the first is a bit hard to find. The second pretty easy and the third is almost impossible to find. The order I told them to you is the order they appear in the chapter, soo good luck. There is a movie reference in the prechapter authors note. That's all you get till the AN of next chapter where I will tell you all three of the references. I would love to see what you guys think they are, leave a review with your thoughts.**

**On another note, happy birthday William, AKA Loyal ODST! Hope it's a good one. I know you will get the second reference, think of it as a thank you from me to you for all the help you have provided over these longer twenty chapters. Make it a good one!**

**Semper Fi,**

**Thearizona**


	21. D-Day 3

**Hello! I know I'm crap for taking so long but school is really getting in the way. It gets easier after Christmas so, hopefully I can update faster after that. Welcome to chapter 21, remember the references from last chapter? Well here they are: The first reference is a shout out to Loyal ODST, aka William as it was his birthday. The second is the captain's speech; it's a modified version of Eisenhower's address to the troops before the D-Day landings. Those are the two easy ones with his speech being easier to spot, in my opinion, then the addition of William into the story. The third reference is when jack yells, "Tankers, Lets plow the road!"; that's from the movie "Independence Day", great movie. They are in F/A-18's and are out of missiles so the commander yells out, "Gentlemen, Let plow the road!" Before they open up with their 20 mm Vulcan Gatling guns. So the fourth, or the first, reference that is in the prechapter authors note is a "How to Train Your Dragon 2" reference, again another fantastic movie, when Gobber says, "See, this is why I never married. That, and one other reason." This was a long AN so let's get back to the story!**

**Edit: noticed the city was wrong so I changed that, plus small spelling error here and there.**

* * *

Ch. 21: D-Day +3

April 1, 2550

Outside Prestwick, Spiron

Gunnery Sergeant Jack Price

It had been three days since we had left Forfar and we had been driving for two days straight. We had only stopped a few times to switch out the drivers. We did stop and rest on the second night so that everybody was well rested for the fight that would end up happening today. It was about midday and we had just stopped about half a klick away from Prestwick to have everybody dismount from the tanks and transport warthogs as we were about to enter the city.

"Ok everybody, listen up. As you no doubt can see, we are about half a klick away from Prestwick. The men on the front are counting on us to distract the covenant so they can advance into the city. We will advance about a 1,000 meters into the city then stop and hold a defensive perimeter and hold off any counter attacks as well as acting as the anvil to the hammer or the rest of our forces. So prepare for some tough defensive action once we establish that perimeter. I want Carnage, Zeus, and Gamma squads to be an advance scout. Now boys, it's time to give the covenant a dose of surprise b*** s**." Colonel Foster yelled out to everybody. After that, inspiring, speech the whole 429th started to advance strait into the city. We had advanced the half a klick in what seemed like no time at all and it seemed like we had truly caught the covenant off guard. We advanced into the city by about a hundred meters before coming upon an enemy command post. As I was back driving point in the tank and with the rest of the squad walking next to me we were the first ones to spot the covenant command post.

"Jack, do you see that?" Dmitri asked as he pointed to the command post.

"Ya I see it, it's a covenant command post." I replied to him before I jumped onto the radio to inform the Colonel, who was near the middle of the column, what we had found.

/Hey colonel, we have a covenant command post about 50 meters to our two o'clock. How destroyed do you want it?/

\I want it completely destroyed. If the covenant are no longer getting any updates from command then they will be more disorientated and they will most likely turn to attack us, leaving them open to attack by our main forces. Once you destroy the command post I want you to form that defensive and prepare for a counter attack.\

/Roger that. We will take it out and then form up the defensive line. How long will we have to wait for the rest of the 429th./

\it should take about 15 minutes.\

Once I got off the radio with Foster I popped the hatch so I could better talk with my squad and the men around me. Including Carnage squad with me in the lead scorpion, then Zeus Squad with Petty Officer Carlos-116 in another scorpion, and finally there was a third scorpion being manned by a tanker with a squad of marines supporting it. Looking closer I noticed that William was the squad leader.

"Ok listen up ladies, the covenant command post is about 50 meters that way, through there." I told them as I pointed to the command post, "our job is to assault the command post and destroy it. This will send the covenant into confusion and most likely send them running back towards us."

"How long will we have to defend against the covenant until the rest of the 429th arrive?" William asked.

"The rest of the 429th should be arriving as back up in about 15 minutes." I responded to my friend. "The battle plan will be an all-out assault on the building. I want the tanks to wait for the infantry to clear the area so that the covenant will think we are a smaller force then we actually are. Everybody got that?"

"Yes sir." everybody but the Spartans responded, making me remember that heath actually outranked me. Once I remembered that I walked over to heath.

"Does that plan sound good to you heath?" I asked him.

"That sounds good. Let's go provide a distraction." He replied before walking towards were everybody else had gathered in preparation for the attack. I followed after him and told everybody to follow me to get closer to the command post before we actually attack. We moved through the piles of rubble and destroyed buildings until we were as the edge of the small clearing the command post was in.

"Everybody ready?" I asked.

"Ya, we're all good over here Jack." William responded as both Dmitri and Heath just gave me a thumb's up. There were a few elites and about a dozen grunts walking around the outside of the building, with maybe another couple of elites and grunts on the inside.

"Ok everybody, attack." I said as I opened fire with my battle rifle. The covenant didn't know what was going on and were shocked by our sudden appearance. This gave us a huge advantage as none of the elites had their energy shields so we were able to take the elites out with head shots from everybody. The commotion alerted the troops on the inside and suddenly the doors opened and standing in the door way was five elites supported by a dozen grunts. By that time we had advanced to the doorway so once the doors opened the hallway came alive with flying lead, killing all the grunts and three of the five elites before the remaining two elites fell back and the doors closed and locked.

"Should be bring the tanks in to blow down the doors or just use some C12?" Dmitri asked me.

"I say use the C12 as it will take less time to get that set up then it will to bring the scorpions in. What do you think Heath?" I asked the Spartan.

"I agree, the C12 will take less time but we should also bring the scorpions up and start entrenching them in preparation for their counter attack." Was his reply.

"Agreed, why don't you go get that started?" I asked him, he nodded and walked away, "William, come here for a moment." I called out to the man.

"Ok," he said before he walked over to where we were standing, "what do you want jack?"

"I want you to take your squad and get the tanks. Once you get them and bring them back I want you to entrench them in preparation for the covenants counter attack."

"Ok, do you mind if I ask what you guys plan on doing about them?" he said as he gestured towards the covenant command post.

"Not at all, we are going to blow the door down with C12 before storming the building with shotguns out. Why don't you go get those scorpions and when you get back we should be done."

"Ok, Gamma squad, let's move out!" he called out to his squad before moving back towards the tanks.

"Gunny, we have the door wired with C12 and are ready to blow, just waiting on you." McFee said as he walked up behind me.

"Ok, let's go gets those elites." I replied as I started walking towards were everybody had gathered in preparation for the explosion.

"Fire in the Hole!" McFee shouted out.

'_KA-BOOM'_

And all of a sudden the door was just gone. A moment later in its place was the combined forces of Carnage and Zeus squads. As we moved further into the structure we could hear one of the elites shout out, "The Demons have breached the door!"

We soon arrived in the main command room, where we found the two remaining elites had barricaded themselves in a side room.

"You must realize that you are all doomed, you will not escape here alive." The elite said.

"Cover that door in C12, I want this entire section of the building gone." I told McFee as I tossed him my C12.

"You will die; your whole race will die! It is the will of the prophets." The elite taunted.

"My pleasure sir." McFee replied. The elite kept taunting us as McFee and Church-130 worked to make the room that the elites were in to disappear using high explosives.

"Clear the building." McFee said, implying they had finished. As everybody was leaving I heard the elite shout its last taunt.

"Where is your honor you spineless, filthy muck?" well I just had to respond to that.

"Where is my honor? Where is yours? You hid in this room and kill innocence civilians for fun. I hope you realize you are doomed, now good bye asshole." I said before jogging out of the building. As soon as I exited the door way I felt, then heard, the explosion that completely incinerated the room.

"Well that's one way to breach and clear." Dmitri said once the dust settled. He was right; I looked around and saw that the scorpions were all in a decent defensive, hull-down position. It was right then that a plasma bolt flew just past my head.

"Take cover!" I called out as another bolt flew right were my head had been a second ago. The covenant had thoughtfully built trenches and defenses in the direction that they were now attacking from. "Get into the trenches and use the plasma turrets against the covenant." I yelled out as more plasma fire started to fill the air around us. The tanks started to fire as soon as they could see the covenant coming into range. As the covenant didn't know how large of a force we were, there were a few squads of grunts and jackals, all of which were led by a dozen elites. A combination of the tanks cannon fire, the commandeered plasma turrets, and our own weapons dealt with the covenant just as the rest of the 429th arrived.

"Good job Price, you guys managed to distract the covenant forces enough for the rest of our forces to move in and destroy the remaining covenant troops." Foster said to me.

"Thank you sir, but it wasn't just carnage that did everything." I replied.

"Yes I know, but you're the first one I have seen and I know that you acted as the leader for the group. You know you would make a good officer."

"So I have heard, but it's not for me" I replied as we watched the other UNSC forces advance by following the explosions.

* * *

**So as I said at the start, I'm so crap for taking so long and I'm so sorry! I started a foreign language class at the local community college, and that is taking up much of my writing time. Luckily, I will be done with the class this December, so I should be getting back to a somewhat normal writing schedule after then. Until then, you guys will just have to deal with me trying to write and do all my school work; sorry. Though you guys have been amazing and here is my chance to recognize you.**

**Thanks ty7769 for giving the story a favorite. Thank you to cannonfodder43 for not only giving the story a favorite and follow, "Brothers in Arms", but myself as well. Thank you to NightsAnger for the story, and personal, follow. That's it for the new followers and the favorites, now onto reviews! As always, thanks to LoyalODST(AKA William) and SupremeCommander for being with me from the start, but a new player has arrived! NightsAnger has left a review and I say thank you to him for pointing out things. Now if you would excuse me, I have the SAT on Saturday, then Head of the Lagoon[look it up if you want](but it's in the bay area and I live two hours away so I have to be up and moving by 4:45) Sunday, then my birthday on Monday. Oh what fun this weekend is going to be….wish us luck!**

**Semper Fi,**

**Thearizona**


	22. What's this?

**Let's just get right into chapter 22 shall we? Just a friendly reminder as I haven't done this in a while, Halo is the copyright of Bungie, though these characters, and the story, are my own creation; except for Zeus squad.**

Ch. 22: What's this?

April 7, 2550

Forfar, Spiron

Gunnery Sergeant Jack Price

It had been little over a week since the attack on Prestwick and since then we have only strengthened our defensive hold over the areas we had taken back from the covenant. We had expected a counter attack but none came. I guess they had decided to play it very defensively after we destroyed their assault carrier. Most of the men were getting very anxious and ready to attack the covenant in Deeside. I was going to talk to Colonel Foster about our next move when I saw him walking towards me.

"Foster, what are you coming out here for?" I asked once I got close enough.

"I'm coming for you jack." Was his reply.

"What for?"

"We are almost done with our plans for the attack on Deeside and Major Heath requested you for one final part of the meeting. Something about a special mission." He replied before gesturing for me to follow him as he started walking towards the command center. Once we reached the command center Foster had everybody leave, except for Major Heath.

"Jack, what I am about to tell you is not to leave this room, understand?" he said.

"Understood sir."

"Good, when we assaulted the assault carrier we pulled intel from the covenant computer system about some temple that's doorway is in a square in Deeside. As this is the first time that one of their temples is so close to being under UNSC control, ONI has ordered that Zeus squad get inside and get ahold of any intel that may be there. They didn't specify how we do it and I know that I can trust you and Carnage squad." He explained.

"Should I feel honored by that statement?"

"Yes you should. Now we have been assigned Gamma, Juliet, and Tango squads to guard the outside of the doorway while we work our way inside to secure the structure and any intel that may be there. I expect that everyone is ready to move?"

"Ya, we have been ready to move out for two days." Was my reply to the Spartan.

"Good, we are leaving soon. The Colonel is getting everybody else ready for the assault. Once we reach Deeside we will group up and move out towards the entrance."

"Understood sir." I said before leaving to go tell Carnage the good news. They were sitting in the building that we had appropriated for our use.

"Any news about when we are going to move out?" Dmitri asked as he saw me enter, everybody else looked towards me to hear if we were moving out.

"Yup, pack your bags fellas; we are moving for Deeside soon." I said to everybody's excitement. They got up and grabbed everything that they had with them before standing next to the door ready to go. "Well then, let's go." I said as we exited the building and got heading towards Deeside.

April 8, 2550

Near Deeside, Spiron

Gunnery Sergeant Jack Price

It had taken us about a day to make the trip to Deeside and once we reached the outside of the city, all five of the squads grouped up and advanced into the city. Surprisingly there was no resistance when we walked into the city and still none as we came closer to the square were the entrance was located. The square had a walkway spanning the distance so we kept our weapons trained skyward in case some covenant were hiding there. In the middle of the square was what appeared to be piece of modern art.

"Well I guess the intel was wrong. There doesn't appear to be any doorways here." Conners said as he leaned up against the art piece. Suddenly it seemed to give way as he fell into it.

"Really, Cause it looks like you found the doorway to me." I yelled at him as he was starting to get back up from his fall. He didn't respond but instead depolarized his visor and glared at me. Heath walked up to the now open doorway and looked inside before gesturing for both Zeus and Carnage to follow him inside. As we went inside I turned to William and told him to keep a line open to me so I know what was happening outside. He agreed and I followed the rest of my squad into the doorway. Once inside it was completely different then the outside and what I had expected. I could tell that it wasn't covenant in origin as instead of the traditional purple color it was a grey metal with blue lines running through it. Everybody had stopped and waited for me, or they were just awestruck by what they saw.

"This is not what I expected to see when we got the report." Connors said and everybody else agreed with him. Heath waved us forward and we started to walk further into the structure. There were so many twists and turns and it felt like we kept going down into the earth. After a few minutes we reached the center and what appeared to be a control room. It was also at that time that I heard over the radio that there was a large covenant force that was killing the three squads that we had left at the entrance. Though before I could tell heath he turned and told us to go secure the entrance. I collected the men and we started to run back to the entrance to help secure the entrance. It didn't sound very serious when I first heard the radio, but I had turned it off as we were heading back to the entrance. In total we were only gone from the entrance about ten minutes but when we got to the entrance and the door opened I saw William laid out on the ground and multiple elites advancing towards him with swords drawn.

10 Minutes Earlier

Sergeant William Goodwin

My squad and I were given an order from Colonel Foster to follow what Jack tells us and he told us to hold a square from the covenant, I of course didn't question orders but I felt my men were of better use elsewhere. There were two other squads in the square; Tango had fortified a, well what is left of a convenience store to the right side of the square and Juliet had dug into a second floor residential building on the left side of the square. Gamma, which is my men, had a small twenty foot section of sand bags, jersey barriers and three of the supports of the pedestrian overpass/walkway as our cover, and that was all within thirty feet of the door we were told to guard. I had my men spread across the defenses and settle in because within two minutes of telling my guys to spread out, an F-99 Wombat flew in and crash-landed, the plasma burns told the story well as they were still red hot.

"They'll be here shortly, get ready for a fight" I said with a stern tone, my men know I love the fight, but only as long as I know we can win. It was less than a minute before I saw the glow of a Jackal shield wall, there was at least twenty jackals in the wall, followed up by ten Elites minors all holding the signature plasma rifle.

"Light them up!" I heard Tango's squad leader call out when a sniper round echoed out from Juliet's position, the wall held strong but one elite fell to the .50 Cal round to the face, its purple blood put a little smile on my face.

"You heard him" I said firing off a set of rounds from my DMR before returning to cover. The battle raged for a few minutes and then it died down.

"Keep on your guard-," I was cut off by Juliet's position exploding in a blue fireball.

"Shit! Sarge, Juliet is down!" the PFC next to me shouted as a dozen elites jumped down from atop the store, ten Minors and two Majors.

"Tango we need some fire from that jackhammer over here!" I said, attempting to sound calm.

A single rocket turned four of the elites into a purple paste, the elites returned fire taking out two of my men.

"Gamma we're out of rockets and... Oh Shit!" Tango's Sargent said just before a Wraith shot hit the building and brought it down, three members of Tango survived but were soon cut down. I swapped to my BR and took a few more bursts at the elites,

"We're out of ammo!" a group of my men called, regrouping near my positon, we exchanged clips as the Wraith moved into the square.

"Sir!" yelled the corporal in my squad just before he pushed me back a couple of feet an instant before the Wraith's shot landed where I was. I watched in horror as my squad was enveloped in the blast, which was still strong enough to throw me into the wall behind me, my vision was fuzzy but I could still hear two MA5's firing away, then the sound of an energy sword, a pair of screams and then silence.

About six seconds later I could hear the door open "Wha, Machine, Take out that Wraith!"

A pair of rockets flew from the door way and the Wraith disappeared.

"Wolf, take out the officers, Dmitri suppress the others. Doc, Vulture on me." Four armored figures emerged from the door way, one blazing away at the enemy.

"William! Doc, Vulture get him inside, Now!" I felt a firm grip on my legs and arms.

"Hey, Gunny?" I started.

"Yeah?" Jack responded.

"I screwed up." I said right before I blacked out.

Gunnery Sergeant Jack Price

We had just pulled William inside the doorway when the door shut and turned a red color instead of the blue. Doc was looking over William as he had blacked out once he finished telling what had happened.

"How is he doc?" I asked him.

"From what I can tell he was just outside of the blast radius of a wraith shot and got blow back by the actual explosion. This is probable the first time I have seen the armor the Marines wear save a life against the covenant." He replied.

"That's a first," I replied, "Dmitri, carry him back to the control room, or at least until he wakes up."

"Ok, but your carrying Sasha." He said back to me.

"Ok." Was my response, and as soon as I finished doc stepped aside and Dmitri handed me Sasha before picking William up and slung him over his shoulder in a fireman's carry. After he did that we all left for the center of this strange structure.

**Here we go, chapter 22 is done and out. It's only been what, little over a month? Well I'm so sorry guys….i hope I will be able to write more in the future as my college class ends and Christmas break is in two weeks. But finals are the next two weeks so don't expect much. So who liked the little, well not so little, PoV change to william? It was actually written by loyalODST(william) himself and I think it turned out good. So thanks william for writing that! So I know this is the day before but I'm posting this now so here it is.**

"**Yesterday, December 7th, 1941 - a date which will live in infamy - the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan." This was 74 years ago. May we forever remember those Americans who lost their lives in the surprise attack that brought the United States of America into the Second World War.**

**Semper Fi,**

**Thearizona**


	23. Now What?

**Chapter 23 for Y'all, Hope you enjoy it. So for the control room, think of the control room for a Halo Ring, like Installation 04, but instead of a hologram of the ring, it's a hologram of the planet. Other than that, it's the same….well, a wee bit smaller.**

* * *

Ch. 23: Now What?

April 8, 2550

UNSC Midsummer Night; in orbit around Spiron

Captain Nick Davis

"Where the hell did they come from!" I shouted out to the bridge crew of the Midsummer Night as four CCS class battle cruisers came out of slip space in front of our battle group. It seemed as if they were ready for trouble because as soon as they got out of slip space they opened fire on our battle group.

"The Pioneer, Hannibal and Grafton are all reporting damage Captain." Mandy said after the first wave of plasma torpedoes went through the ships.

"Return fire on those covenant ships, and get me a report of the damage to the Pioneer, Hannibal and Grafton." I yelled back to Mandy, and a moment later I heard, and felt, the MAC gun fire. I saw the MAC rounds from all the UNSC ships impact the same covenant battle cruiser, overwhelm its shields and completely gut the ship. I was right after one of their ships was lost that the remaining three CCS class battle cruisers opened fire.

"The Pioneer and Grafton are hit again." Mandy informed me of the damage that the last attack had inflicted.

"This is Captain Wilson of the UNSC Pioneer, our reactors been hit and it's only a matter of time before it blows. I am abandoning ship and setting the autopilot to take out one of those covenant ships." The voice of the Captain of the UNSC Pioneer came over the radio as we saw escape pods and pelicans leaving the doomed ship. While the Pioneer was accelerating towards one of the three covenant ships, Mandy updated me on the status of the Grafton.

"The Grafton is reporting heavy damage and is returning to Reach for repairs." It was right after that message that the UNSC Pioneer's reactor exploded as it was about to collide with the closest CCS Battle Cruiser. The resulting explosion destroyed both the Pioneer and the Covenant battle cruiser.

"Sir, the remaining covenant ships are heading for the surface." A yeoman on the bridge informed me.

"Mandy, would we be able to destroy them before they reach the surface?" I asked the AI.

"Negative Sir, with the loss of the Pioneer and the Grafton leaving, the amount of MAC guns we have remaining are not enough at this range to destroy the targets, and they are out of range of the Archer missiles." Was her response.

"Fine, Mandy, I want you to coordinate with the other ships for a search and rescue of the Pioneers survivors, and to come up with a plan of attack to destroy those two ships as quick as possible. We need to keep the covenant on the surface from restocking and resupplying, and to maintain air and space dominance if we want to win this campaign." I told the AI, knowing she would do as I asked as I walked over to the windows that made up the front of the bridge and looked at the debris field that had just appeared after the most recent encounter with the covenant.

* * *

Two hours Later

Deeside, Spiron

Gunnery Sergeant Jack Price

We had gotten William all the way back to the control room before he finally woke up after being knocked out by the Wraiths plasma blast.

"Wha…Where are we? What happened?" William asked as Dimitri set him down on the ground.

"Well you guys got decimated by a much larger force and by time we got there, you were being blown back into us." I replied, letting the news of his squad's death sink in. As I watched him stare off into space, trying to wrap his head around losing his squad, I decided to observe the room we were now in. it was a somewhat large room that had the general shape of an egg. The platform we were on was about in the middle of the shape, so any fall from this height would be fatal. That's not the attention grabber in the room though. The platform went straight out for a ways before circling a large hologram of the planet we were now on, or under.

"Is this how you felt after you lost the original Carnage jack?" William asked me. It brought back some of the same feelings he was going through.

"Ya, I did go through the same thing; but for me it was a lot worse cause I was the direct cause of their death." I somberly replied to the man. He went from looking up at the roof, to looking down at the ground between his own two feet. Sadly, right then was not the time to be feeling down and out for one's self. The sound of the covenant blowing down the entrance echoed heavily through the long metal corridors.

"Well I guess they are going to be here sooner or later. What was the whole point of getting down here anyways?" Conners asked Heath-118.

"The reason is the information that is stored in this control room. Before you ask how we are going to do that, we have an AI with us, but I'm going to let him introduce himself." Was the Major's reply before the AI made itself know by projecting its avatar on the control panel.

"Hello Gentlemen," the blue AI, dressed as a late 20th century fighter pilot, said with a Texas drawl, "My name is Jackson and I'm what you are going to be protecting. Now if you would excuse me, I must get back to deciphering this data and you have to prepare this area for defense. If I learn of anything important I will let you know."

"Thanks Jackson." Heath replied as the AI's avatar disappeared.

"How do you plan to defend this area? There is no cover and it's just a strait walkway!" Connors spoke up once again. Heath didn't even bother to reply to the man, but spoke strait to me.

"Jack, take your squad and slow the covenant down using any means necessary."

"Yes Sir." I replied, already forming an idea of how we were going to accomplish that. "Carnage, let's move." I said as I went to turn around and walk towards the single doorway.

"Permission to tag along sir?" I heard William ask as he suddenly appeared at my side. I understood the reason behind the request. My first instinct was to deny the request because I remembered the anger I felt after the pain of the loss. Then I thought differently as I also remembered that I wasn't able to vent my anger on anything other than a punching bag. While that did work slightly, it wasn't enough and the first time we went back into combat I was pissed off the whole time.

"Permission granted," I finally replied to the man, "Now let's get a move on."

All of Carnage, and William, followed behind me down the corridors for about ten minutes until we came to a corner and the covenant were just on the other side of the corner.

"McFee, place a mine on the corner and then here, here, here, and here," I told the man as I pointed out locations for the anti-personnel mines. "Everybody else, follow me." I ordered as I jogged back to the last corner, which was only a feet back. It took about a minute for McFee to finish mining the area and get back around the corner.

"Ok, here's what we're going to do, once the first mine goes off I want everybody to pop around the corner and drop any covenant you can see. Once the hallway is clear of covenant we fall back around the corner and wait for the next mine to go off and repeat the process; Ooh-rah?"

"Ooh-Rah!" Was the reply from everybody before we fell into silence to await the first covenant troops to fall into our trap. We didn't have to wait that long for the first customers of the day to come waltzing into our trap.

'_BOOM'_

"Open fire!" I called out before we all stepped out onto the other side of the corner and unloaded into the stunned and confused covenant troops. In a matter of seconds, the remaining few grunts and elites that had survived were all cut down by the onslaught of 7.62 and 12.9 millimeter ammunition that came flying their way.

"Cease Fire, Cease Fire." I called out once the finally elite was cut down. Everybody stopped their firing except for William, who was emptying his magazine into the closest dead elite. Before I could say anything to my friend, his rifle clicked empty and he dropped the DMR before running at an elite who had survived with only a lost arm, and started to stab his combat knife into its head and chest in a fit of revenge fueled rage that I knew all too well. I quickly ran up to the rage filled man to pull him off the now dead elite.

"William, William, its ok, let it go, let it go!" I said as I pulled him off now horribly mutilated corpse. I pinned his arms to his side as he let the rest of the rage get out of his system. I knew exactly what he was going through as the first time Dmitri and I went into combat, he had to do the same thing to me. After a minute or two, he finally started to settle down.

"You can let me go now Jack." William said once he had finally stopped struggling to get out of my grip.

"Are you sure about that? I don't want you to lose it again; it could cost you your life." I replied, still not letting him out of my grip.

"Ya I sure, it's out of my system not so I should be fine." Was his reply, after that I let him out of the pin I had him in. When I got him turned around, I saw that his front was covered in purple blood splatters from the dead elite. Once we got back up, a plasma round from a grunt went right over his head and into the wall behind him. We both ducked back into the safety of the corner and waited for the covenant to advance far enough to trigger the second mine, which they did and we repeated the process over again. William kept his cool this time and we worked as a team, keeping the covenant on their heels as they advanced down the corridor.

"McFee, mine this area as well, let's repeat the process for as long as we have explosives." I told everybody once we pulled back into cover after the last mine had gone off. We repeated the whole process again on the next corner, and the next, until we had bought Jackson about half an hour of extra time to decrypt and decipher the files.

"That was the last of the explosives Staff." McFee informed me as he came around the corner of the fourth trap we had made.

"Ok, once we kill these covvies I want a sweep of the field for anything we can use. That means all weapons, explosives, and any sort of deployable cover that they may be carrying." I told the men just before the first mine went off and we started the process of killing the covenant before stripping them of their supplies. We did this three more times, and after each trap I had William and Doc take all the stuff back to the Control room as we had gotten closer with each turn. When the final explosive went off and we finished picking the supplies of the dead covenant, I gave McFee a block of my own C12 and told him to set a trap for the covenant that would most certainly be following us.

"Let's get back to the control room and prepare a defense in case that AI isn't done decrypting and deciphering those files." I told the men before we walked towards the control room to prepare a defense against the incoming covenant forces.

* * *

**Almost, I almost got this done in time for Christmas. I hope you will excuse my day of tardiness, but I did work almost all day Christmas to get this done for you guys….so this is sort of a Christmas present from me to you guys! It's only 40 minutes late but hey, better late than never right? So that beginning part with the Captain was not planned, it just appeared and it fit better at the start then at the end, and it gives some important details! Well, not much else to say here…..Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! This is going to most likely be the last chapter of 2015. I don't know if I will get another one out between now and the New Year but you never know. And it's 12:40 AM so good night internet!**

**Semper Fi,**

**Thearizona**


	24. Battle of the Control Room

**Chapter 24 for Y'all, enjoy!**

* * *

Ch. 24: Battle of the Control Room

April 8, 2550

Beneath Deeside, Spiron

Gunnery Sergeant Jack Price

"Jack, why did you bring back all of this covenant gear?" Heath asked me once we arrived back at the control room. He must have been waiting for me to explain the plan if he asked me, but McFee and I arrived back at the control room later then everybody else as we were setting a few traps for the covenant that would surely be following us.

"We can use it to defend the control room while the AI finished his job." I replied.

"Ok. I want you to set it all up though. This is your plan after all." Heath told me before turning around and walking back to the control panel, presumable to talk with the AI. Once we got all of the covenant gear together and counted, we ended up having pilfered eight deployable covers, two plasma turrets from somewhere, and multiples of each type of covenant small arms weapons. Covenant carbines, plasma rifles, needle rifles, needlers, plasma pistols, plasma grenades, and even a few fuel rod cannons. We then set up the covenant gear that we had taken off of the dead alien bodies. Three of the deployable covers placed in a line about half the distance from the door to the control panel. The room in between those shields was enough room to place the two plasma turrets. The other five deployable covers would be used when and where needed and the weapons were spread out behind the deployed shields for whenever one of us ran out of ammo. Whatever would end up coming through that door would be in a world of hurt when it did.

"Jack! You might want to come hear this." I heard Heath call out.

"Ok, I'm on my way!" I called back as I handed a Needler to William to take to one of the deployed covers. "What do you want?" I asked as I arrived at the control panel.

"Jackson, tell him what you told me." Heath said to the AI once I arrived.

"Yes sir; as I have been decrypting and deciphering the information I have been reading and storing it as well. I have come across lots of information which, while interesting, are of no threat to us if the covenant get ahold of it." Jackson started.

"What kind of information is that?" I interrupted the AI.

"Information on different types of species, I have species information on the Elites, Brutes, Grunts, Drones, Jackals, Hunters, and even the Prophets. This information we can use against them in the future as it contains information such as home world location and average dimensions."

"Then what's got your bytes in a bunch?" I asked the AI, my joke going strait of his head.

"I will let you know, my data streams are in perfect working order. Though I see you do not mean that literally. What has raised my attention is the next species on the list; Humans."

"Wait, What?! So if the covenant get their grubby little claws on that info they will know the location of earth?" I asked the AI.

"That is correct. That is also how far I got with Major Heath before he called you over." Jackson replied.

"What can we do to change that?" I asked, putting the question out there.

"We could destroy this room and the panel with explosives." Heath suggested.

"_Figures, ask a Spartan on what to do to get rid of something and he will respond with lethal force."_ I thought. "Jackson, is there a way to delete or change the info somehow?"

"Checking," was the response I got back from the AI, "it is possible but there seems to be something preventing me from doing that. I can only read and copy them."

"That would be me." A feminine voice suddenly said, loud enough to surprise the three of us, but quite enough to not be heard elsewhere.

"Who are you?" Heath replied.

"My name 265 Unassuming Tangent and I am the monitor of this Data Storage Facility." The voice once again called out.

"Where are you?" I asked, looking around to try and find whoever or whatever was talking with us.

"I'm right here Reclaimers." The voice said once again, but this time we saw where it came from. It came from what can only described as a floating eyeball. A head sized green orb sat suspended in the middle of a floating metal sphere.

"What are you?" I asked upon seeing the floating orb.

"I am a monitor, an AI created by the forerunners to protect and service this facility for future use as a library." The female AI said.

"Well that explains why I have not been able to change or delete any of the data on earth or humanity." Jackson suddenly said as the reutilization dawned on the smart AI of why he could do such things.

"Yes, I have been preventing you from changing the information so that the most accurate information is retained for future use." Unassuming Tangent said to Jackson.

"But we need to change that info." I said to the monitor.

"Why? Why must this information be change Reclaimer?"

"It is important to the survival of the human race that the coordinates of our home planet is changed." Heath said.

It was right then that the covenant decided to come through the door, which hadn't locked itself as the other doors had.

"Covenant!" Somebody cried out as the covenant burst through the door and opened fire. Luckily, everybody had been behind the captured shields so nobody was hit.

"Return fire!" I yelled out to the men, who immediately did just that. The first wave of mostly grunts with a few elites fell without a problem.

"Jackson, can you lock those doors?" I asked our AI once the last elite fell dead.

"I can do that easily." The Monitor said before doing just that. The light on the door switching from blue to red, indicating it was locked shut.

"Now do you see?" I asked Unassuming Tangent. "Now do you see why we must change that data? If the covenant get ahold of those coordinates then they will wipe out all of humanity, starting with earth. If you have any sort of surveillance on the surface, take a look at what is going on. They are hunting us down without mercy!" The AI seemed to just float there, looking at the surveillance footage and considering what I had just told it.

"Your reasoning is sound Reclaimer; I shall allow your construct to change the coordinates of your home world as to avoid the complete destruction of the human race." The Monitor finally said after what seemed like an hour, but in reality was only a few seconds.

"Jackson?" Heath said in an inquisitive tone.

"Affirmative Major, I have edit control over the data for the Human race and have changed it." Our AI replied back to him.

"Thanks Jackson. How long will it take you to finish up with all the data?"

"About ten minutes."

"Reclaimers." Unassuming Tangent said, trying to get our attention.

"What is it you want Tangent?" I asked the Forerunner AI.

"I am detecting multiple hostiles advancing and preparing to destroy the door." It said while making a sort of gesturing motion with its floating body.

"Everybody, get ready for the next covenant attack. We need to defend this room for ten more minutes!" I called out before looking over at Heath, "I'm sorry if I'm stepping on your toes with the orders."

"No, it's alright. I not much for calling out orders like that; I think it fits you though." He replied, making me feel better about shouting out the orders. A few seconds later, after both Heath and I had gotten behind the cover of the deployed shields, the covenant blasted down the door. As soon as they did, we opened fire on the force of grunts and jackals trying to crowd their way through the door. The sheer weight of firepower that we were able to concentrate in such a small area that it over whelmed the jackals shield gantlets and tore through the thin and frail bodies of both the jackals and grunts. Their little bodies were reduced to piles of mush by the amount of fire power that was aimed at them. Even when a few elites appeared in the doorway, they didn't last any longer than the jackals or grunts did; their shields and armor not doing anything to prevent them from turning into the same piles of flesh that their comrades had been turned into. It was right then that two hunters appeared in the door way with their shields up, protecting themselves and a dozen elites behind them from our bullets.

"Oh Shit!" Conners yelled as one of the hunters fired his fuel rod cannon at the shield that him and Doc were hiding behind.

* * *

**Well hey; look at what we have here? Another chapter before the year is up? How is this possible? Well this is what happens when I have my computer and no school work. I become a writing machine! Sort of. Yes, this chapter is shorter then my normal 2k average; but this is where I'm ending it, with a cliff hanger…at least I hope that counts as a cliff hanger. Oh, a shout out to LoyalODST, AKA William, for giving me a suggestion which in turn lead to the creation of Unassuming Tangent. And since I am doing shout outs, shout out to Supreme Commander for letting me use Heath and his squad, which haven't scene a lot of action.**

**So story suggestion time? *hears cricket chirping* well I guess not. If anybody wants a suggestion, just leave a review asking for one. Oh, and please do review…you guys are the reason I write. I don't really look at the views that often so I only see the reviews. So please leave a review. It's not that hard, you don't even have to say that much. Just that your there and enjoy reading this story. And the review section is even right there! It's not that hard…..Please?**

**Semper Fi,**

**Thearizona**


	25. Escape the Control Room

**Welcome to the first chapter of 2016! I hope you all enjoy it! So I'm trying something new, from now on I will not be putting the PoV at the start of the chapter unless it is a change of PoV. So from now on, unless it is stated otherwise, the PoV is going to be Jacks.**

* * *

Ch. 25: Escape the Control Room

April 8, 2550

Beneath Deeside, Spiron

"_BOOM"_

I watched as the green blob impacted the blue shield and explode, overwhelming the shield. The second hunter had fired right after that, but the shot fell slightly short and blew up dust and debris, covering up the two men hiding behind the old shield. The first hunter's head suddenly fell of its shoulders and the dead corpse fell to the ground just as the second hunter's cannon mounted arm fell to the ground. It howled in rage and pain before a flash of steel caught it in its throat and cut its head off, killing the second hunter as well. The elites worted and started to fire at something that was moving so fast it was a green blur. The green blur started to dance between the elites in the doorway; slicing through flesh and armor as if it were paper. The blur would pass by an elite and leave the elite in two pieces, legs and a torso, laying on the ground. The last few elites in the line saw what was happening to their comrades and pulled out their energy swords to try and stop the blur that was slicing through their ranks. Try as they might, the elites fell to the blur no matter what weapon they had drawn. The final elite fell and the blur finally slowed down enough for my VISR to put a tag over it. Warrant Officer Church-130 it read; I also looked at the mission clock that I had kept running since we had entered the control room and the whole massacre had only taken a few seconds.

"DOC! VULTURE!" I cried out as the last elite fell. I ran the short distance to where the dust was still settling to check on my men, memories of Stigma 8 running in my head, but what I saw there stole my breath away. As I arrived I noticed that the two men had been shoved behind the bulky armored form of another Spartan, Petty Officer Rebekah-099. She had used her body as a shield to protect the two men from the blast and the debris that followed it.

"We're fine gunny. Just some ringing in the ears, that's all." Vulture replied as he shoved the bulky armored figure of Rebekah off of Stein and himself.

"Good to hear, now get your ass back in gear cause we need to get out of here!" I said back to him as a few plasma bolts started to fly into the room. Stein and Connors went back to the second line of deployable shields. The covenant were soon flooding the room with plasma fire, but we were putting up our own flood of return fire as well and keeping them out of the room. The gunfire was sporadically interrupted by a grenade or rocket being fired to prevent a jackal shield wall from advancing into the room.

"Jackson, how much longer till you're done?" I asked the AI over the radio.

"I am almost there Gunnery Sergeant," he replied, "Heath; I am finished and awaiting extraction from the panel." Once Jackson radioed that he was finished I saw heath go over and pull his crystal chip out and plug it into his helmet.

"Ok gentleman, Jackson has finished and it's time to get out of here. Everybody get a grenade ready, once we clear the hallway we are going to rush it and get to the outside door." I shouted out to the men, who followed my orders and soon the doorway, and surrounding hallways, were clear of any covenant solders. The sickening squish sound of the hard metal shrapnel dissecting the soft bodies of the covenant troops overwhelmed any other sounds that were happening.

"Let's move! Anybody with a shotgun goes up front." I once again called out, knowing that the shotguns would be best up front due to all the short corridors and corners. Dmitri pulled out his M90 and stood to the left hand side of the corridor, Connors with his M90 stood to the right hand side, and the blur from earlier, Warrant Officer Church-130, was in the middle with his own M90 shotgun. We advanced through the corridors, shotguns dealing with any covenant that might be in the way of our escape. Elites, Grunts, Jackals, and even another hunter pair, were all dealt with in a short time due to the shear amount of fire power that our group was able to bring to bear. We reached the doorway, and what was left of the door after the covenant blew it down, and saw a large force of covenant outside the door.

"Everyone get back!" Dmitri shouted as he realized what was waiting outside the doorway. We all quickly got back behind one of the corners before any of the covenant realized we were there.

"Where the hell did all those covenant come from?" Connors asked.

"I don't know, but we need to get out of here before we run out of ammo." I replied. It was then that I heard a crackle over my radio, reminding me that it worked again because we were no longer deep underground. I was about to call Mandy and ask her what was going on when Heath spoke up.

"Two CCS class battle cruisers made it through the fleet and made land fall. That happened about three hours ago." Heath informed everybody. Jackson must have informed him as the AI would be able to get all that info instantly.

"Well shit, there's going to be a lot of covenant out there. What are we going to do now?" I asked him.

"While I don't doubt we could do a decent amount of damage if we go out there, I don't have a death wish." He replied.

"Then why don't we call in an air strike on the covenant?" I asked him, as he was technically in charge. I couldn't tell what was going on behind the visor he wore.

"So are we going to be walking out of here then?" Stein asked.

"No, I will call in an evac bird along with the air support." I replied.

"Well then, call it all in Gunnery Sergeant."

"Yes Sir."

/Command this is Kilo-Lima-Mike/

I didn't get a response at first.

/Command this is Kilo-Lima-Mike, come in command/

\Kilo-Lima-Mike this is command, go ahead\

/Requesting immediate air support and extraction in grid square Kilo-Three-Alpha, more specifically from coordinates one-five Alpha-Golf-Whisky nine-four-two-eight-six nine-four-three-eight-one to nine-four-three-nine-nine/

\Negative Kilo-Lima-Mike, all air assets are busy at this time\

Heath must have been listening in on the conversation because he soon joined in.

/This is Major Heath, Sierra-118; you _will_ redirect a pelican and two shortswords to our location for extraction and air support/

\Yes sir; redirecting air assets now, Eta is two minutes.\

Hearing Heath over the radio must have scared the poor lad on the other side of the line.

"Support will arrive in two minutes. As long as we stay hidden inside, we should be fine." Heath informed everybody. That plan didn't last long as a squad of grunts with an elite came walking through the doorway, presumable to attack us in the control room where they though we still were. They rounded the corner and saw all of us standing around and I swear I saw a small look of fear on the elites face.

"Open fire!" Heath said after a few seconds of surprise by both parties. We were able to get out weapons on target before they were able to, so we riddled the covenant troops with bullets.

"Well shit just hit the fan." Connors said.

"Well go thing we only have to wait about a minute till evac, now let's stop them at the door." I said before everybody, well really only two of the guys, took up a position that would allow them to fire from cover around the corner. It ended up being three of the guys as Dmitri put his machinegun on the ground, I stood above him, and then Heath stood above me. As I peeked around the corner, I didn't see any covenant rushing at the door as they normal did. They all just stood a bit away, staring at the doorway.

"Shouldn't they be rushing the doorway right now?" William asked.

"Ya, they should. I've a bad feeling about this." I responded to the man before tossing a grenade around the corner. As I watched the grenade roll to a stop I noticed a foot print appear next to it, but the elite that should have made it was not there. I knew I made the right call to toss the grenade once I saw that.

"_KA-BOOM"_

I looked back around to corner to see what carnage had been wrought by my grenade. Where once there had been nothing, there was now six uncloaked stealth elites laying on the ground, some in pieces and others whole, but all of them were dead. It was then that the covenant that had been just standing and waiting started to rush the doorway.

"Thermopylae." I thought I heard Heath say.

"What?" I asked him.

"Thermopylae," he said, "It was a battle fought by 300 Greek Spartans against an estimated 300,000 Persians. The Spartans channeled the Persian's into a narrow canyon where the Persians couldn't use their superior numbers to overwhelm them."

"Well I think the odds aren't quite the same." I replied to him as we started to open fire on the covenant that were being funneled into the doorway.

"You know the Persians ended up winning the battle after a traitor showed them a small path that allowed them to outflank the Spartans right?" Rebekah asked me as she popped around the corner.

Before I could respond to her a loud noise came from outside, it was a rumble before a bunch of thuds.

"I guess air support has arrived." I said before the bombs went off, blowing apart everything that was outside.

\Kilo-Lima-Mike, this is Ironclad Bee\

/Go ahead Ironclad/

\The covenant outside have been dealt with and I am setting down just outside the doorway\

"Ok everybody; there is a pelican landing outside with our names on its seats. Now let's get a move on!" I shouted out to everybody who was hiding around the corner. We all started moving around the corner and towards the pelican which was sitting just outside. As we moved towards the pelican, plasma rounds started to land all around us. The covenant were moving down a narrow street of the side of us. We fired at them as we ran towards the pelican, but didn't have to worry for long as the second shortsword dropped its payload on the advancing covenant, wiping them out.

"Welcome aboard the Ironclad fellas." Garry said as we were getting out seats.

"Just get us out of here in one piece and there is a beer with your name on it!" I shouted up to him.

"Will do, and it better be a good beer too!" he shouted back as we got off the ground and started making for a friendlier area.

* * *

**And done, Chapter 25 for everybody. I hope you have enjoyed the story so far. Cause I know I have enjoyed writing it, all the twists and turns I never planned to happen. One of which will be happening next chapter….but I'm not going to tell you what it is! So it has been brought to my attention that my choice in weapons for Dmitri might be a bit off. I have him carrying around the M247H, which is a .50 cal. weapon, that once it was brought to my attention, I guessed weighs around 80 pounds. Said reviewer said the M247 GPMG, which according to the halo wiki only weighs around 22 pounds would be a better pick for him. My question to you guys is do you care enough for me to change it? if you really want me to change it then just say so and I will change it in the rewrite I do once I'm finished writing the story. I recently posted a oneshot about how the original Carnage sqaud died, go read it for some backstory on last chapter.**

**Semper Fi,**

**Thearizona**


	26. Thermopylae Part One

**Ch. 26, here we go! The start is a little clunky, but stick with it!**

Ch. 26: Thermopylae Part One

April 10, 2550

Above Deeside, Spiron

The last two days had been a bit crazy with the arrive of not just the two covenant ships, but two of our own ships as well. The UNSC Enterprise and the UNSC Constellation both arrived yesterday, the day after the covenant ships had arrived in the system, to help reinforce us. Jackson had been shipped up to the Midsummer Night for safekeeping until the campaign ended, and William had attached himself to us after what had happened to his squad. Despite all attempts to get him reassigned by others, it was always shot down by Major Heath, Colonel Foster or I as we all knew the importance of William being around people he knows that will help him through the loss of his squad. He was already an honorary member of Carnage so it was not an issue. Yesterday we received orders to work together with Zeus to infiltrate behind the Covenant lines and do what we do best, the same thing we had done a few weeks ago in Prestwick, but instead behind Deeside and near the two CCS class cruisers that had landed. Today we finally embarked from our camp just outside of Deeside to start our mission of rampage and destruction. We had just loaded onto the pelican to take us behind the covenant lines.

"You ready for this William?" I asked the man as we sat down.

"Ready to do what Jack; kick more covenant ass?" He asked me.

"No; well yes, but your first true mission as a part of Carnage."

"I would say I'm ready for it."

"Good, because now you get to see what ODST's are famous for." Dmitri interjected into the conversation as we lifted off from the landing pad and flew towards the front. We quickly flew over the front lines and kept going to get to where we were to be dropped off. After a few second of flying towards the insertion point, we came under attack. The fire was getting a bit close, but it was still somewhat sporadic enough that it wasn't a problem. Suddenly the pelican lurched to the side and smoke started to poor into the troop compartment.

"Strap in back there!" The pilot shouted back to us before radioing for help. "Mayday, mayday, this is war hammer, we're hit, we're hit. Loosing speed and altitude, requesting help."

"Brace for impact!" Heath shouted out a few seconds before the pelican slammed into the ground. The pelican slide for a couple of seconds before it hit something and flipped over.

"Is everybody ok?" I asked once the pelican had settled.

"Ya I'm good." Dmitri replied.

"Fine here sir." Stein and McFee both replied at the same time.

"A little shaken, but I'm ok." William answered.

"Just peachy sir." Was Connors response, and I got a green acknowledge light on my HUD from Anders. I didn't need to ask Heath if he or his men were good because I just knew they were by the fact that they were Spartans, and that just left the pilot to check on. I unstrapped myself from the now upside down seat and started to make my way to the cockpit via walking on the ceiling of the compartment. I reached the door and pressed to open button. The door opened about an inch, but if was enough for me to know the pilot was dead. What flipped us upside down and stopped the pelican must have been a large boulder as the whole of the cockpit area was smashed inwards.

"Pilots dead." I said as I turned around to see the rest of my team standing on the "floor".

"Ok, now what." Connors asked, but before I could respond to the man, Heath came in from scouting outside the downed bird and answered for me.

"Now we defend this position from the incoming covenant." He said. When nobody moved from standing there I took charge.

"You heard the man, Move! Take up defensive positions around the pelican. Dmitri, see if door MG is good. Anders, I want you on the top of this thing looking for targets. The rest of you spread out and find a good defensive spot that is relatively close by; we may try to make a run for it." I told them. They all started walking out door except for William.

"Jack." Williams said, so I looked at the man.

"What is it?" I asked.

"I have been training as a spotter, so request permission to spot for Anders sir?" He asked me. I looked over at Anders who just shrugged before walking out the door, showing he didn't care if I gave him a spotter or not.

"Permission granted." I replied to William, who then went scurrying out the door to catch the sniper. I followed after him and took in our surroundings. We had crashed right at the bottom of a gorge, with the covenant coming at us from the open side. I looked out to the open side and saw a vast grass land, so the appearance of the gorge is a real mystery.

"Price, we may have a problem." Heath said as he came walking back up to me.

"What do you mean we may have a problem?" I asked back.

"I sent my squad to recon the gorge to make sure it was clear of covenant and he found a large group of civilians and militia hiding in some caves. If the covenant does any type of search then they will be found."

"So basically, we can't retreat or make a run for it or else the covenant will find them."

"Correct."

"Well shit, that means we need to stay and defend this entrance until they are all out of there."

"Correct. This is a good defensive position though; the pelican is blocking a good section of the entrance, and we can role rocks into the sections not covered to block the rest." Heath said, pointing them out as he named them off.

"Does this gorge empty out into anything?" I asked him as he knew, due to his scout.

"No, luckily we won't have to work about a multidirectional front." Was his response.

"Sir." Anders said over the radio.

"What is it Anders?"

"You might want to see this." He replied before I turned on the camera feed from his Oracle scope, and what I saw frightened me.

"Shit; Machine, I want you to place as many land mines as possible in front of the pelican. Use any explosive you need, land mines, IED's, doesn't matter to me as long as it kills the covenant. Dmitri, what's the status of that gun?" I said into the radio.

"Yes sir." McFee replied, he then came over and I gave him the C12 that I always carried with me.

"The gun is fine sir, though the hard landing has got the mount stuck in the closed position." He replied. I walked back inside the pelican to get a look at what he was talking about. The gun was on a flexible mount that allowed it to swing in and out of a hollow in the wall. The landing and then flipping of the pelican had jammed the arm that it rested on in the closed position. Heath stepped in front of me and Dmitri and just yanked the arm out of the slot, and then the mount put of the pelican so we could use it against the covenant. Dmitri and I just stood there in awe as we watched the show of brute strength that Heath had just put on.

"Wow." I said as Heath wielded the heavy Gatling gun and mount as if it was nothing, unlike Dmitri who struggled slightly with his lighter gun. Heath placed the mount behind a rock that provided cover to everything below the gun.

"Any other problems?" Heath asked once he got the mount locked down behind the rock.

"Unless you can make support magically appear, then I'm afraid not." I replied to the Spartan.

"I will see what I can do." He said before turning away. I looked back at the feed from Anders scope; the covenant had gotten closer, but they were still about a one and a half klicks out. I noticed that Anders had sighted in on an elite officer that was standing still, as if he thought that he was out of range.

"Anders, fire when ready." And as soon as I said fire, that's what he did. I watched as the big 14.5 APFS round that the SRS-99 fires fly straight and true at the cocky elite officer that though he was out of range. One moment its chest was nice, smooth, and intact; the next saw a fist sized hole appear and it looked like the elite had just jumped back slightly. As soon as his dead body hit the ground I heard a second SRS go off. I knew it wasn't Anders because I didn't see the gun shake from firing, so I guessed it was Anders counterpart on the Spartan team. I watched through Anders scope as the round hit and killed one of the officer's body guards. That seemed to open a flood gate as the remaining body guards started to charge out position, leading grunts, jackals, other elites on the attack.

"Support is on its way Gunnery Sergeant Price, but it will take some time to arrive as they have to battle though much of the forces we now face." Heath said as he and his whole team, minus the sniper, suddenly appeared behind me.

"Well at least they are coming," I said before taking a look around the place that would most likely be where we would all die when I remembered something from the other day, "Thermopylae."

"What did you say Price?" Heath asked me once I said that.

"Just thinking and this situation kinda reminds me of what you described the battle of Thermopylae looking like."

"Well let's hope that it doesn't turn out like it did for the ancient Spartans, both of our sakes." He replied before walking up to the small front line we had made. Dmitri had set his M247 up on the other side of the pelican that the Pelicans fun was on, and Connors was manning the Gatling gun. The loud crack of the SRS's was joined by the slightly quieter snaps of Williams DMR once that reached about 700 meters. After about half a minute the covenant had gotten to 400 meters out and were within range of everybody else's weapons and I used a favorite line of mine when we are facing a hard fight.

"Gentlemen, prepare to defend yourself!"

**ya ya, this chapter is on the shorter side; but this set up sort of needed to happen and I really didn't feel like putting what comes next in this chapter as it just seems to fit stopping right there. So the finally line has been used before yes, but it's a good movie quote and line!**

**Thanks everybody for reading this story and showing your support, all you reviewers know who you are. And thank you to meep15 for the story follow/favorite. Now I just need to find a way to get more people to review…do you guys have any ideas? The review can just be a simple good job; I don't care if it's short just as long as you show support. I just noticed, this story has gotten over 2,000 views! Thanks for all the views guys!**

**Semper Fi,**

**Thearizona**


	27. Thermopylae Part Two

**Welcome to the final chapter.**

* * *

Ch. 27: Thermopylae Part Two

April 10, 2550

Unknown location, Spiron

The covenant had been assaulting our position for a solid five minutes before they stopped the attack and fell back to outside the range of our small arms. Anders and Rebekah held their fire as to not waste their ammo.

"Heath, where is that support?" I asked the Spartan as I walked up to him.

"Support is a few minutes out." Heath replied just before a plasma bolt from a covenant carbine nearly took my head off as I turned around to walk back to my men. If it wasn't for Heath pulling me back, it would have turned my head to a pile of smoking mush.

"Thanks Heath." I said to him as the covenant started to try and keep our heads down with their version of suppressive fire. He didn't really respond except in a short pat on the back which also helped to get me moving back towards my side of the front lines. William, who took over for Connors, opened fire with the now unmounted machine gun from the pelican. Dimitri also opened up with his machine gun, and between to two of them they were able to slightly suppress the covenant enough for the rest of us to pop out of cover and fire at the covenant as well.

"Jack, how much longer till we get that support?" Dmitri asked as we kept up the heavy fire.

"Heath said a few minutes," I replied, and then William ran out of ammo for the machine gun, "but that might be a few minutes to long." Since the machine gun William was manning went silent, he started to receive more fire then normal, and two bolts clipped him.

"AARGH!" he shouted as he went down behind the cover of the rock.

"William's hit!" I shouted as I ducked down and ran towards him, "Doc! Get over here!" As I slide onto the ground next to him I felt Doc slide in behind me and then move to that he could better look at William's injury. I popped up from cover to put suppressive fire down range so that Doc would have an easier time looking over William.

"How's he doing Doc?" I asked him after a few seconds.

"He'll be fine sir, his arm got grazed, that's all." He replied as he put some Biofoam and then a bandage onto the wound.

"Damn Marine armor doesn't have the same arm protection as you ODST's have." William said as Stein finished up with the bandaging of his arm. It was at that time that the ground started to shake slightly and a low rumble could be heard that confused both us and the covenant.

"HEATH! What the heck is that?" I shouted out to the Spartan.

"I have no idea Jack." Heath replied to me. After a few seconds we both saw what was causing the shaking and rumbling. One of our ships, the UNSC Constellation, had entered into the atmosphere and dropped of a large force of Warthogs, Scorpions, and Grizzly tanks on the covenants 7 o'clock. The Constellation then started to use its point defense weapons to rain some serious hurt onto the covenant force. Four Warthogs, two troop transports and two of the armed variant broke off from the main force and made their way to us.

"That's one heck of an idea for support." I shouted back at Heath who simply nodded his head in agreement. The warthogs soon arrived and we got into them before they roared away from the crash site, passing another four Hogs who made their way to the refugees in the caves. The sound of Plasma Torpedo's filled the air, causing us to look up in enough time to see several impact the Constellation. The Constellation fired its MAC cannon at the two covenant cruisers that had come out of hiding and on the attack. That reaction must have been what the rest of our fleet was waiting for as they came flying in from multiple angles and started firing both MAC cannons and missiles at the covenant ships. It was a master strategy as it caught the covenant out in the open and unprepared for such a large attack. The two CCS class cruisers were utterly obliterated by the combined firepower of the multiple ships that had surrounded them.

"Well, looks like we won." Connors said as the last cruiser finally hit the ground and the last of the ground troops had been killed. Nobody said anything as the idea of actually beating the covenant was unthinkable. It was as if a great silence had come over everybody once the last of the covenant had fallen as nothing was said. After a few moments a cheer was heard from someone in the large mass of Marines; the cheer grew from one mouth to many as everybody started cheering. After about a minute of cheering, the cheer ended and everybody got to work on packing everything up to leave now that our mission was complete, the campaign won.

"It's been a pleasure working with you Gunnery Sergeant; I hope we can work together in the future." Heath said to me as the dream team was being broken up due to Zeus having to go back to ONI and Carnage needed back on the Midsummer Night.

"Same here Major." I replied to the man before he turned around and started walking away, with the rest of Zeus turning and following him except for Rebekah, who stayed and looked at me for an extra moment before turning and following Heath. Once they left I turned around to Carnage who was standing behind me.

"Well, this is a new experience; beating the covenant off a planet," I said before pausing for a moment to let that fact sink in, "Now let's get back to the Midsummer Night and get squared away, I suspect we will be heading back to Reach after this."

"What do you think will happen to me?" William asked as we started the drive towards where the Midsummer Night had landed.

"Well you could always join the ODST's and then become an official member of Carnage." I suggested to him.

"I don't know, I kind of like being just a normal Marine; plus, I don't know if I will get in." he half-jokingly replied.

"I'm calling BS on that, and I know you will get in cause you will have my support."

"Well then, I guess look out ODST's cause here I come!" William said, earning a laugh from everybody who heard the conversation.

THE END…?

* * *

**Well this is it. The story is over. I got halfway through this chapter and I realized that it was over. I had finished the story prewrite and with nothing else to write, this was it. I'm sorry if this seems abrupt, but as I have said earlier, this just happened. Thank you to everybody who has taken the time to read this and an even bigger thank you to the people who have gone the extra step and given the story a favorite/follow/review. One final thing, if you want more of Carnage, then I suggest "The Second Human-Covenant War" by Supreme Commander. I'm beta reading that story and some of Carnage makes an appearance. and who knows, there might be a sequel in the future once things settle down.**

**Semper Fidelis,**

**Thearizona**


	28. Epilogue

**Halo is the copyright of Bungie, though these characters, and the story, are my own creation. **

* * *

Chapter 28: Epilogue

September 19, 2552

UNSC Pillar of Autumn

Gunnery Sergeant Jack Price

"Attention all combat personnel! Please report to your action stations." The voice of the ships AI, Cortana said as it was blasted throughout the ship.

"Well that was a short break." Connors said as we got up from our temporary beds.

"We've had shorter." I replied as I stretched. We had all left our armor on as we guessed that we would be coming out of slip space and strait into a battle.

"5th Platoon secure air lock on Deck 11. 14th Platoon rendezvous with 27th Tactical at bulkhead Charlie 14." Cortana said once again. We didn't go anywhere as we had been assigned to stay with Staff Sergeant Johnson.

"You heard the lady, move like you got a purpose." Johnson barked out to his Marines as they fell into a double file line with room for him to walk between them.

"This is not a drill. I repeat, this is not a drill." Cortana said over the ships loud speaker system.

"And here I thought this would be a drill." Williams said with a huge amount of sarcasm in his voice.

"Men, we led those dumb bugs out to the middle of nowhere to keep 'em from gettin' their filthy claws on Earth. But, we stumbled onto somethin' they're so hot for, that they're scramblin' over each other to get it. Well, I don't care if it's God's own personal anti-son-of-a-bitch machine, or a giant hoola hoop, we're not gonna let 'em have it! What we will let 'em have is a belly full of lead, and a pool of their own blood to drown in!" Johnson yelled out to his Marines before pausing for a second, "Am I right, Marines?"

"Sir Yes Sir." All of the Marines, and even all of Carnage, replied back to that inspirational speech.

"Damn right I am. Now move it out, double time." Johnson ordered.

"Attention all personnel, we are reengaging the enemy. External and internal contact imminent." Cortana's voice echoed out.

"All you greenhorns who wanted to see Covenant up close, this is gonna be your lucky day." Johnson said as we all ran to get into position to fight off the covenant boarders. As we fought though parts of the ship, clearing each section as we go. On our way, we even passed by Master Chief on his way to the bridge. After a minute or so, the ship rocked to the side.

"What the hell was that?" Anders asked as we all got back on our feet.

"I don't know, but whatever it was means bad news for us." I replied to him.

"Attention all hands, this is the Captain. Prepare to abandon ship. Combat Teams; repel boarders until top personnel are away. Good Luck! Keyes Out." Captain Keyes broadcasted throughout ship.

"Well boys, looks like it's time to get out of here. Let's get to the hanger as see if there is a pelican left." I told Carnage before we moved out and in that direction.

"Didn't the Captain tell us Combat Teams to hold the boarders back until the command staff get away?" Dmitri asked.

"We will. We will just be protecting a Pelican instead of some random corridor." I told him as we reached the hanger bay. Just our luck, there was one Pelican left in the hanger. We stayed and guarded that pelican for a few minutes before the ship shook again.

"Let's get out of here, everybody board the pelican." I ordered as I saw nobody coming, and nobody had even shown up as well.

"Get us out of here!" I shouted up the pilots once we were all aboard the Pelican.

"Hang on back there." One of the pilots shouted back at us as they got the Pelican of the hanger ground and into the air.

* * *

**And you all thought that the last chapter was the end. Well it was, but I had the idea for an epilogue for a bit and just now decided to write it. To all who ask, this is also a sneak peek at the sequel to "Brothers in Arms". As of yet there is no title or anything, just an idea of where I will go once I start it. First I'm going to finish "Moving On" though.**

**Semper Fi,**

**Thearizona**


	29. Important Authors Note

Hey there everybody who is reading this, I know there is at least ten of you who have followed this story. So after much diliberation I have decided that I will most likely not be writing a sequel for _Brothers in Arms._ To understand my desicion, when I finished writing _Brother in Arms _I was finishing high school and was only in the middle of cowriting two story's and betaing another. Now I am in college and find my self writing a story, cowriting two with a potential third on its way, and that beta reading turning into more of a cowriting position, and having another story I am Betaing for. I have also slightly lost interest in this story.

Long story short, I no longer have the time or want to create a sequel that would have just followed the plots of the first three Halo games, but slightly different and through the eyes of Carnage Squad. If you want to see Carnage in action, I suggest you go read "Second Human Covenent War" by Supreme Commander. That story is my beta story and we are working closely on the parts where Carnage shows up.

_Brothers in Arms_ has been a great jumping off point for me into being a FanFiction writing so I would like to thank everybody who is currently reading this notice. If you want more of my writing, there is the one-shot about the original Carnage or you could read one of the two How to Train Your Dragon story's I am posting. I would once again like to say thank you to everybody who has enjoyed reading this or left a review or favorited/followed the story, no matter if you be somebody who has been with me from day one or you have just found this story.

If you guys want to ask me anything about the story or the likes, go for it. I will always answer the reviews you leave.

Semper Fidelis,

Thearizona


	30. AN Number Two

Hello everybody,

By now I'm sure this is just a bit annoying, but I come with good news so put down you weapons. This story has been taken up by one of the two people who reviewed every chapter, LoyalODST, or as some of us know him, William. The first chapter is up and it takes place right after the ending of "Brothers in Arms". I hope you guys enjoy it as much as you did this story! Y'all know how to put this in.

Link: www. Fanfiction dot net/ s/12295266/1/Brothers-in-arms-Blood-Brothers

Semper Fi,

Thearizona


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